Parents anxious about their infants starting allergenic foods like eggs and peanuts have taken to trying it out first in hospital or GP car parks, according to an online poll.

Forty GPs responding to a Facebook poll suggest the practice, designed to mitigate risk, is common despite it lacking clinical evidence, says Brisbane GP Dr Wendy Burton, who is chair of the RACGP’s antenatal and postnatal care network.

“Most of the replies I got were from GPs like myself, who had heard from parents that this was an approach they were taking as a risk-mitigation strategy,” she told Australian Doctor.

Dr Burton says the practice of parents parking near hospitals and clinics is a sign that misunderstandings around anaphylaxis persist.