An egg a day appears to help young children grow taller

An egg a day might help undernourished young children grow to a healthy height, according to a six-month study in Ecuador.

Whether soft or hard-boiled, fried or whisked into an omelette, eggs appeared to give infants a boost.

It could be a cheap way to prevent stunting, say researchers in the journal Pediatrics, according to BBC.

The first two years of life are critical for growth and development – any stunting is largely irreversible.

Poor nutrition is a major cause of stunting, along with childhood infections and illnesses.

According to the World Health Organization, 155 million children under the age of five are stunted (too short for their age).

Most live in low- and middle-income countries and health experts have been looking at ways to tackle the issue.

Prof Mary Fewtrell, nutrition lead at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “In a way, it is surprising that more research has not been conducted using egg in this situation – although I know that in some cultures, parents do not necessarily find egg to be an acceptable early food mainly because of concerns about allergy.

“Egg is a good nutritious complementary food that can be introduced as part of a varied diet once the mother decides to start complementary feeding – never before four months.”

She said eggs should always be well cooked to avoid any potential infection risk.

The WHO recommends mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child’s first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health. After the first six months, infants should be given nutritious complementary foods and continue breastfeeding up to the age of two years or beyond.

The British Nutrition Foundation advised: “While eggs are a nutritious food to include, it’s very important that young children have a variety of foods in their diets. Not only is this necessary to get all the vitamins and minerals they need, but also to allow them to become familiar with a wide range of tastes and textures.

“A range of protein-rich foods should be provided when feeding young children, which can include eggs but can also feature beans, pulses, fish, especially oily fish, meat and dairy products.”

H.Z