Q: Dear Doctor, Please let me know about Quail eggs which are available in the market. The companies selling these eggs have made claims that they are good for small children and are in fact cholesterol free. Is it safe to give these eggs to babies, if so at what age and in what quantity?

A:No egg is proven yet to be cholesterol free. Quail eggs contain anywhere between 100 mg to 400 mg cholesterol per whole egg. If any company claims that they are cholesterol free, they might have processed them somehow, although I cant tell how, or the claims cannot find evidence in the recent research. Eggs, be they quail, hen or duck can be given to babies. However, weaning in small babies must start with only 1 drop of egg yolk and should increase slowly. You must not hurry with feeding the whole egg to babies less than 2 years of age. This will also depend on the tolerance of your baby. Also, please buy quail eggs from speciality stores only and read the label for expiry details.