Randomised controlled trialindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-EGG-106 standard review

An egg a day did not change growth in Malawian babies

The effect of eggs on early child growth in rural Malawi: the Mazira Project randomized controlled trial.

Overview

Stewart CP et al.. Am J Clin Nutr 2019 · PMID 31386106 · DOI 10.1093/ajcn/nqz163

No overall effect on length or weight after 6 months.

Does the study support the specific claim? Unclear · Methodological quality: high

Study explained simply

What did the researchers want to find out?: Test eggs for growth.
How was the study done?: Randomized trial.
How many people, animals or samples were studied?: 660 infants.
What was actually found?: No effect on growth overall.
How large was the observed effect?: Head circumference z +0.18.
What do the results mean in everyday life?: Eggs are not a magic growth food, but nothing suggests they harmed the children.
What are the study's limitations?: Low stunting at baseline.
What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?: Neither supports nor clearly refutes harm; balances the Ecuador result.
Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?: Limited.
What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?: It cannot show that eggs are harmful.

Authors: Stewart CP et al.
Journal: Am J Clin Nutr
Year: 2019
Identifier: PMID 31386106 DOI 10.1093/ajcn/nqz163
Verification: verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26; Crossref works API 2026-10-26
Retracted: no
Corrections: none
Extent checked: abstract only
Conflicts of interest and funding: NIDDK/NIH and non-US government support (PubMed).

Does one egg per day improve growth of children aged 6-9 months in rural Malawi?

Study design: Randomised controlled trial – Individually randomized controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment, 6 months
Population: Children aged 6-9 months, rural Malawi
Country: Malawi
Period: Randomization February-July 2018
Sample size: 660 (331 egg, 329 control); 10% loss to follow-up
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: not detailed in abstract

Exposure / intervention: 1 egg per day for 6 months
Comparator: Control with equal visit frequency
Endpoints: Length-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-length, head circumference z scores
Statistical methods: Intention-to-treat comparisons

Results: No intervention effect on length-for-age, weight-for-age or weight-for-length z scores; head circumference-for-age z +0.18 (0.01-0.34); effect on length only among children of mothers with higher education (interaction P = 0.024). Egg consumption rose to 84.5% (3 months) and 70.3% (6 months) in the intervention group.
Absolute risks: not reported
Authors' conclusion: Providing 1 egg per day had no overall effect on linear growth; a background diet rich in animal source foods and low stunting may have limited the impact.

Null primary results with adequate power; head circumference effect small and secondary.

Provides balance: eggs did not improve growth in this setting, so benefits should not be overstated. The abstract does not report harms.

Ecuador trial positive (I-EGG-105).

Low-income setting.

Shows that the growth benefit of eggs is context-dependent; does not indicate harm.

Multidimensional assessment
Multidimensional assessment
Authenticity of the source	verified
Methodological quality	high
Risk of bias	low
Precision of results	moderate
Directness	indirect
Reproducibility	not replicated
Consistency with the overall evidence	inconsistent
Regional transferability	moderate
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)	not applicable

Adverse events not reported in abstract.