The mother of a newborn is worried the child will develop allergies and asthma. Which tool will the nurse practitioner use to evaluate this risk?

• A. Three-generation pedigree
• B. Review of systems
• C. Genogram
• D. Ecomap

Answer: (A)

Evaluating inherited risk for conditions like allergies and asthma relies on documenting family health history across generations. A three-generation pedigree is designed to record who in the family has atopy-related conditions (asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema) in three generations, along with ages of onset and relationships. This layout makes patterns of inheritance visible and helps estimate the child’s risk based on how many close relatives are affected and how they are related. This information is key for counseling and planning early monitoring or interventions if needed.

A review of systems looks at current symptoms the patient has now, not the family history that informs risk. A genogram focuses on family structure and relationships with some health details, but it doesn’t emphasize inheritance patterns across generations as clearly. An ecomap maps social connections and resources rather than medical risk. So the family-history-focused pedigree across three generations best serves the purpose of assessing genetic risk for atopy.