Your child’s procedure will be delayed or cancelled if you do not follow these restrictions. Their stomach must be empty for their procedure and anesthesia. We do not want contents (food or liquids) from your child’s stomach to get into their lungs. We want to help keep your child safe.
What can my child eat and drink the night before and day of their procedure?
Follow these restrictions unless your doctor tells you something different.
Not Allowed by mouth or feeding tube | Allowed by mouth or feeding tube | |
|---|---|---|
| After 11:00 p.m. the night before their procedure |
| All fluids (drinks) |
| 6 hours before procedure arrival time |
|
|
| 4 hours before procedure arrival time |
| Only clear fluids (see below) |
| 2 hours before procedure arrival time |
|
|
Clear fluids
- Only apple or white grape juice
- Black coffee without milk or cream
- Clear tea without milk or cream
- Infant electrolyte drinks like Pedialyte®
- Clear sports drinks like Gatorade® (any color)
- Clear carbonated drinks like Sprite® or 7-Up®
- Clear protein drinks like Ensure Clear®, Premier Protein Clear®, Fizzique®
- Water
- Do not add milk, creamer, honey, or lemon to any clear fluid drinks.
Non-clear fluids
- Broth
- Milk
- Coconut water
- Jello™
- Hot chocolate
- Orange juice (with or without pulp) and other fruit juices
- Smoothies
- Formulas like Pediasure®, Enfamil®, and Similac®
- Tube feeding formulas like Promote®, Impact®, and Nepro®
Why can't my child eat or drink before their procedure?
- Anesthesia slows down protective reflexes, such as coughing and swallowing.
- One protective reflex keeps stomach contents from going into the lungs. This is called aspiration. If this happens, oxygen cannot get into the lungs.
- Aspiration is less likely to happen when the stomach is empty. Fasting (not eating or drinking) keeps the stomach empty.
- Aspiration may cause brain damage or death.
Can my child have gum or hard candy while waiting for their procedure?
- No, your child cannot chew or swallow gum. Your child cannot suck on or swallow hard candy. Your child’s procedure may be delayed or cancelled if they do this.
If my teenager uses tobacco, when should they stop?
On the day of their procedure, no vaping, smoking, and so on, unless their care team has told them to stop sooner (such as no smoking for at least 30 days before their procedure).
Stop 8 hours before their procedure arrival time, unless their care team has told them to stop sooner than that.
Our Department of Anesthesia used research and expert opinions from the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the European Society of Anesthesiologists to make these guidelines.