Most children-including nearly 80% of infants-go without clear liquids before surgery for at least twice as long as guidelines recommend, according to an analysis of data on more than 70,000 children presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 annual meeting.

Healthy infants and children may safely drink clear liquids, including water, fruit juices without pulp and carbohydrate-containing beverages, until two hours before receiving anesthesia, according to guidelines from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). The guidelines recommend that children not drink anything within two hours before the procedure to reduce the risk of liquid entering the lungs, which could cause choking or pneumonia . However, fasting longer can be harmful because it may cause dehydration, as well as unhealt

See Full Page