Egg Ladder

Background

The Egg Ladder is a specific tool designed for the purpose of inducing tolerance, when there is egg allergy or a risk of egg allergy, which takes priority over healthy eating, for the short term in which the Egg Ladder is use.

The foods contained on the Egg Ladder have been chosen specifically because they contain a certain amount of egg that has been cooked (or not) for a particular length of time at a particular temperature.

IFAN is aware that some parents are surprised or concerned to see that some foods on the Egg Ladder contain sugar, and so may not be considered as a “healthy” food choice for a young child.

IFAN advises that the Egg Ladder is not aimed at all children-it is aimed only at those who have, or may be at risk of, egg allergy.  The recipes were developed by health care professionals who are aware of the role of refined sugars in childhood obesity.  However, the Egg Ladder, when followed appropriately, moves egg allergic children off the bottom step within 1 – 2 months, so there are unlikely to be long term physical consequences and sugar intake can be modified elsewhere during this critical phase of what is a medically indicated diet.

Having used the egg ladder or similar tools for more than 6 years, the IFAN working group has not seen an adverse effect on the weight of children who have completed it.

It is, however, possible that children who do not move off the bottom step of the egg ladder may be offered the higher sugar foods for longer.   It is our experience that those children, for complicated reasons, hardly eat any of the foods advised anyway and some have become accustomed to other foods which are far more harmful to their long term cardiovascular health than eggs or sugar.

The foods suggested on the Egg Ladder are subject to change.

The egg ladder

Download 2 page IFAN egg ladder here

 

Egg ladder practical video

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