| Historical clues | Potential significance |
| Diarrhea | Malabsorption (celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis, secondary lactase deficiency, food allergy, short bowel syndrome), excessive use of fructose-or sorbitol-based juices, diets high in sugar or other carbohydrates |
| Chronic constipation | May cause decreased appetite |
| Abdominal pain | Gastroesophageal reflux, esophagitis, chronic constipation |
| Vomiting or spitting up | Gastroesophageal reflux, delayed gastric emptying, intestinal obstruction, food allergy/intolerance |
| Gagging, tactile hypersensitivity, prolonged feeding time | Oral motor dysfunction |
| Decreased appetite | Excessive juice (or other nonnutritious liquid) intake, chronic disease, medications, stressful psychosocial conditions |
| Recent travel to developing country, camping, housing in shelter, day care | Infectious diarrhea (eg, giardiasis, nematodes, enteric pathogens) |
| Chronic otitis media | Immune deficiency, structural abnormality that impairs intake |
| Snoring or mouth breathing | Adenoidal hypertrophy |
| History of wheezing | Mechanical obstruction (eg, vascular ring), chronic pulmonary disease |
| Polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia | Diabetes |
| Frequent infections | Immune deficiency |
