Egg yolks for babies... good info

[GG]

I'm on a roll posting in this forum as solids are a big deal around here these days.   

I found a good article about feeding babies egg yolks:
Egg Yolks Good Choice for Weaning Babies:  http://www.webmd.com/content/article/35/3606_1851

DS loves egg yolks and I've been feeding it to him for dinner 5-6 times per week (he's almost 1 yo and his pedi ok'd it).  I just thought the above article has some good info for parents looking to add iron and DHA into their babies' diets, plus it's short and to the point.

       

May 24, 2002 -- Moms and dads of weaning infants may want to incorporate egg yolks into their babies' diet. This may be an easy and practical way to provide iron and other much-needed nutrients that may become depleted during this time.

Both breastfed and formula-fed infants face several important nutritional challenges as they approach weaning age of 4 to 6 months. For example, since breast milk is a good source of iron, iron-rich weaning foods are needed to prevent iron deficiency.

Formula-fed infants may experience a deficiency of a fatty acid known as DHA, which is vital to the growth and development of the brain. The FDA recently approved the addition of DHA to infant formulas in the U.S. to avoid this problem. Breastfeeding provides sufficient DHA. However, doctors still don't know if weaning foods high in fatty acids such as DHA are important for continued development.

Egg yolks are rich sources of both iron and DHA and have a soft texture that is suitable for this age group. Scientists are also studying the benefits of egg yolks that are fortified with extra fatty acids (enriched egg yolks.) However, many parents may be concerned about the cholesterol content of egg yolks.

In this study, published in the June 2002 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers compared the nutritional effects of feeding weaning infants regular egg yolks, enriched egg yolks, or an otherwise normal diet. Parents were told to feed their child four egg yolks per week and were given a recipe booklet.

Blood samples were taken from the infants at 6 and 12 months of age to measure DHA levels, iron status, and blood cholesterol levels.

At the end of the study, both breastfed and formula-fed infants who consumed the egg yolks had improved iron levels when compared with the infants who did not get the egg yolks. In addition, those infants who got the egg yolks enriched with extra fatty acids had 30%-40% greater DHA levels than those fed regular egg yolks.

Although an egg yolk typically contains about 200 mg of cholesterol and 6 mg of fat, researchers say egg yolk supplementation in these infants did not have any significant effect on blood cholesterol levels.

Study author Maria Makrides of Flinders University of South Australia and colleagues say a major finding of this study was that infants who ate the enriched yolks had DHA levels "that were not significantly different from those of the breast-fed infants."

Therefore, the authors write, "the results of our trial indicate that it is possible and practical for weaning infants to consume [less than or equal to] 4 egg yolks/wk without effects on the intake of other foods such as cereals and meats."

Since cooked egg yolks are soft food, infants can easily eat them when they are mashed up.

[tylersmommy]

Great info, Georgia! Thanks for sharing!

[teezee]

thanks - was unsure about eggs...maybe i'll try egg yolks tomorrow morning...

[cwolff]

Thanks, we do egg yolks 3-4 times a week and I knew they were good sources of protein and iron, but did not know that they were good for DHA.  I also didn't know their were "super" eggs.  I will look for them next time at the supermarket.  Thanks again.

[Minimonkey]

How do you prepare the yolks?  I tried with my LO once or twice by taking the yolk from a hard boiled egg, but he just mushed it up in his hands...   Any suggestions?

[teezee]

i fried it this morning and lo was amazed with the texture in her hands and in her mouth...i think she was a little surprised i gave her something that didn't just eventually melt in her mouth (cookies, toast, cheerios, etc.) and although she really liked it maybe had a hard time with it prepared this way.  maybe hard boiled would be a smarter way to go?

[tylersmommy]

When Tyler was that age, I usually mixed the yolk with a tiny bit of milk and scrambled it. The consistency was still a lot like a hard boiled egg yolk and he had a hard time picking it up (too crumbly), so I'd mash it up in his puree or cereal. I'd do the same with hard boiled egg yolk. Tyler's all time favorite was egg yolk french toast, though. I'd dip his bread in the yolk and fry it until it was all cooked on both sides, then I'd tear it into bits. For the longest time, I dipped the outsides of all of his sandwiches in egg yolk. It was super easy for grilled cheese, since you have to fry it for a bit anyway.

[Minimonkey]

That's a good idea Melissa, Thanks    BTW, do you have a special way of separating the egg so there is sure to be no white in it?

[tylersmommy]

Not really...I usually just cracked the egg in half and moved it back and forth between the shell halves until all the white had gone down the sink (but before the yolk had broken). I've heard that can be bad, though, because sometimes the egg comes into contact with the shell, which is germy. The "best" way is supposedly to wash your hands and transfer the egg back and forth between them until all you're left with is yolk. I've also seen a friend do that with 2 little clean bowls. Does that makes sense?

[Minimonkey]

Yup, that makes sense - thanks!  Learning new things every day

[squeaky's mum]

Another good way of separating eggs and yolks is (with clean hands) to empty the egg into your hands and let the white drain through your fingers.

[GG]

I just make a soft-boiled egg for ds.  I boil the water and then put the egg in for 5-6 min.  The yolk is still a bit runny so I dip bread and give it to him with bread.  He LOVES it!  :-)  Sometimes he wants more... I wish I could give him more than 1 at a time.