Fasting guidelines

<6 months

• Clear fluid* 1hrs prior/ Breast milk 3hrs/ Formula 4 hrs/ Food 6hrs

>6 months

• Clear fluid *1hrs prior/ Breast or formula milk 6hrs/ Food 6hrs

AM list

• Clear fluid* until 7am/ Food or milk until 2am

PM list

• Clear fluid until 12pm/ Breakfast before 7am

*Clear fluid is anything you can see through which isn’t cloudy! E.g. apple juice, water and lemonade (not coke or milk)

How your child goes to sleep

Most children go to sleep with gas delivered though a mask attached to a balloon. Some children prefer a needle, inserted after numbing cream is applied. 

If your child is anxious, they may benefit from a sedative before they come in to the operating room. Most parents will be offered the opportunity to be with their child whilst they go to sleep.

Waking up and going home

As soon as your child wakes up, we will call you to be with them.

Once your child has had a drink and a snack and any pain is controlled, they can go home.

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What  should I do if my child has a cold?

Please let me know if your child has had a cold (or  yourself if you are the patient) within the last month. If the cold is severe, your child has a fever or they are unwell to the extent they are lethargic or off their food, they must be cancelled and delayed until they have been well for up to a month. Some children, for example those with recurrent tonsillitis, are unwell all the time. These children will be cancelled if they are actively unwell but may still go ahead if their cold is getting better and was not less than a month ago. Each patient is considered on an individual basis.
There is a risk of airway irritability, asthma like reactions and a worsening of their chest infection if they have an anaesthetic whilst unwell. This is why we rather delay the operation when we are concerned. Your surgeon will understand these risks and make arrangements for a later date. ​

Are there any risks to the developing brain with anaesthesia?

The risks of anaesthesia causing developmental delay is extremely small. If your child needs an operation, the risk of not doing it far exceeds the risk of the anaesthetic.

See smarttots.org for more information.