Now that your little one is eating solids, have you tried giving him or her scrambled eggs?
Research has found that eggs significantly increased growth and reduced stunting by 47% in babies.
“Eggs can be affordable and easily accessible,” said Lora Iannotti, lead author of the study and a leading expert on child nutrition at the Brown School at Washington University.
“They are also a good source of nutrients for growth and development in young children,” she said. “Eggs have the potential to contribute to reduced growth stunting around the world.”
The research
For the study, children ages six to nine months old were given one egg per day for six months, versus a control group, which did not receive eggs.
Eggs were shown to increase standardised length-for-age score and weight-for-age score. Models indicated a reduced prevalence of stunting by 47 percent and underweight by 74 percent. Children in the treatment group had higher dietary intakes of eggs and reduced intake of sugar-sweetened foods compared to control.
“We were surprised by just how effective this intervention proved to be,” Iannotti said. “The size of the effect was 0.63 compared to the 0.39 global average.”
Eggs are a complete food
Eggs are a complete food, safely packaged and arguably more accessible in resource-poor populations than other complementary foods, specifically fortified foods, she said.
For the study, children ages six to nine months old were given one egg per day for six months, versus a control group, which did not receive eggs.
Eggs were shown to increase standardised length-for-age score and weight-for-age score. Models indicated a reduced prevalence of stunting by 47 percent and underweight by 74 percent. Children in the treatment group had higher dietary intakes of eggs and reduced intake of sugar-sweetened foods compared to control.
“We were surprised by just how effective this intervention proved to be,” Iannotti said. “The size of the effect was 0.63 compared to the 0.39 global average.”
Eggs are a complete food
Eggs are a complete food, safely packaged and arguably more accessible in resource-poor populations than other complementary foods, specifically fortified foods, she said.
