Around the world, from South Africa to India, Ecuador to Ethiopia, research shows support that the humble egg, as part of a healthy and balanced diet, is an affordable, versatile and nutritious food for good health and the growth of our children. Yet given the nutrient value of eggs, it is concerning that egg intake in African children is less than half that of other regions, and less than three times that of Latin America.

The shocking stats of stunting

Almost 150 million children around the world are stunted, meaning a child’s growth slows down (technically defined as their height being too low for their age). Local statistics are equally concerning with almost one in three (27%) South African children at risk for stunting.
The trouble is that stunting can lead to other health concerns, like poor cognition and academic performance, and low productivity and unreached job potential later in life. Stunting can also increase the risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases later in life, like diabetes and heart disease. So it’s easy to understand why there are targeted and concerted efforts towards the reduction of stunting around the world.

Egg-cellent news for eggs

The busy little bodies that are our children are in a critical and rapid growth phase, and why good and balanced nutrition is key to their physical and cognitive development. This is where eggs come in as cost-effective, well-loved source of high-quality protein and other important nutrients, with worldwide research showing how eggs may play a role in lowering the risk of stunting. In Ecuador, babies between 6 and 9 months who ate one egg a day had a 47% lower risk of stunting and a 74% lower risk of being underweight.

In Ethiopia, in families who were given two egg-laying hens, over the six-month study period, the egg-eating children of these families were 42% less likely to be stunted and 54% less likely to be underweight. In India, low consumption of eggs is linked to a two-fold increase in the risk of stunting. And closer to home, a South African study1 looked at the potential of the egg when babies start eating as a way to improve nutrient intake and diversify a baby’s diet, especially in low-income families.

Eggs: A nutrient knock-out

Eggs offer up high-quality protein for muscle growth and immune support, bone-friendly vitamin D for growing skeletons, and B vitamins for energy and brain function. Eggs also provide essential fatty acids and vitamins and minerals (like choline), needed for early growth and development. So much so that it is recommended that young children eat an egg a day, especially in countries where poverty is a big reason for malnutrition (and the concurrent stunting). Eggs are budget-friendly too, particularly important in lower-income countries where food (relative to a family’s income) is costly, and cold storage facilities like fridges are a luxury.

If there was ever a good reason to scramble up some eggs for the kids before the school run, this is it. As an omelette or sunny side up, poached or boiled, for breakfast or in any meal of the day, it’s time we establish eggs as a helpful (and delicious) food to support the growth of our children.

“The Egg Division of the South African Poultry Association and the International Egg Commission support the Global Egg Campaign of 1 Egg a day per person for 365 days”.

References

1.Faber M, Malan L, Kruger HS, Asare H, Visser M, Mukwevho T, Ricci C, Smuts CM. Potential of egg as complementary food to improve nutrient intake and dietary diversity. Nutrients. 2022;14:3396.

2.Aguayo VM, Nair R, Badgaiyan N, Krishna V. Determinants of stunting and poor linear growth in children under 2 years of age in India: an in-depth analysis of Maharashtra’s comprehensive nutrition survey. Maternal and Child Nutrition. 2016; 12(S1):121-140.

3.Iannotti L, Lutter CK, Stewart CP, Gallegos Riofrío CA, Malo C, Reinhart G, et al. Eggs in early complementary feeding and child growth: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 2017; e20163459 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-3459

4.Omer A, Hailu D, Whiting SJ. Egg consumption of children under two years of age through a child-owned poultry and nutrition intervention trial in rural Ethiopia: a community-based randomised controlled trial. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research. 2022;9: 100354.

5.UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund); WHO (World Health Organization); WB (The World Bank Group). Levels and Trends in Child Malnutrition: Key Findings of the 2021 Edition. Available online: https://data.unicef.org/resources/jme-report-2021/

6.NDoH (National Department of Health); Stats SA (Statistics South Africa); SAMRC (South African Medical Research Council); ICF (Inner City Fund). South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016: Key Indicator Report, 2017. Pretoria and Rockville, Mary land. Available online: https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report%2003-00-09/Report%2003-00-092016.pdf

7.Iannotti L, Lutter CK, Bunn DS, Stewart CP. Eggs: the uncracked potential for improving maternal and young child nutrition among the world’s poor, Nutr. Rev. 72 (2014) 355–368, https://doi.org/10.1111/nure.12107

8.Lutter CK, Iannotti LL, Stewart CP. The potential of a simple egg to improve maternal and children nutrition. Maternal and Child Nutrition. 2018;14(S3):e12678.