Box 1. Obtaining an allergy-focused clinical history

Ask about
•	any individual and family history of atopic disease (such as asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis, or food allergy) in parents or siblings; and
•	details of any foods that are avoided and the reasons why.
Assess presenting symptoms and other symptoms that may be associated with food allergy. Ask about
•	age of the child or young person when symptoms first started;
•	speed of onset of symptoms following food contact;
•	duration of symptoms;
•	severity of reaction;
•	frequency of occurrence;
•	setting of reaction (for example, at school or home);
•	reproducibility of symptoms on repeated exposure;
•	which foods, and how much exposure to them, causes a reaction (for example, does the child get a systemic reaction after a small amount of well-cooked egg in a cake touched their lips, or can they tolerate egg when cooked but get redness around the mouth if eating raw egg when baking); and
•	cultural and religious factors that affect the foods the child eats.
Ask
•	who has raised the concern and suspects the food allergy;
•	what the suspected allergen is;
•	the child or young person's feeding history, including the age at which they were weaned and whether they were breastfed or formula fed. If the child is currently being breastfed, consider the mother's diet;
•	details of any previous treatment, including medication, for the presenting symptoms and the response to this; and
•	whether there has been any response to the elimination and reintroduction of foods.