Top tips for your visit

Stop Antihistamines in Advance

• Please stop giving your child antihistamines (or any nasal sprays or cough medicines containing antihistamines) at least five days before the appointment. This is crucial to ensure accurate test results.

• Do not stop inhalers or any other prescribed medication.

Bring All Medications

• Please bring all current medications, including creams and inhalers, that your child is taking to the appointment.

Prepare a History and Questions

• Write down a brief history of your child’s condition and any questions you would like to ask during the visit. This will help ensure all your concerns are addressed.

Provide Ingredient Details for Reactions

• If your child has reacted to packaged food, bring the list of ingredients for assessment. If the reaction occurred at a restaurant or catering establishment, contact them in advance to request the ingredient details.

Skin Prick Testing for Allergens

• We provide skin prick tests for common food and inhalant allergens.

• For fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, or rare allergens, please bring these with you, as they may not be available at the clinic.

• Contact our practice team if you have questions about what to bring.

Discuss the Appointment with Your Child

• Let your child know what to expect. Explain that they will meet the doctor, who will talk about their allergies, perform a physical exam including maybe a special type of test, and discuss a management plan.​

• Explain that skin prick testing might be performed and this feels like someone poking you with a pencil. Do not talk about needles or pain.

Allow enough time to find the clinic, park your car and walk to the clinic so there is no sense of rushing to add to the stress of a visit.

Pack Essentials for Your Child

• Pack some food, drinks, and entertainment like toys, books, or devices to keep your child comfortable. Be mindful of other children's severe allergies by avoiding highly allergenic foods like nuts, eggs, or dairy, and choose items that can be eaten neatly without contaminating furniture.

• For younger children, bring nappies, wipes and if they are on formula, bring extra supplies.

Consider Bringing Support

• You may wish to bring a relative or friend to help during the visit, especially if you are bringing multiple children. Please note that the waiting room is quite small so please only bring additional people if required for your support.

Think of how you could make the outing a more positive experience by visiting a park, the bakery (Mr T's Bakery on Carberry Street) or the gorgeous children's bookshop located one block away (The Quick Brown Fox Bookshop).​