Most kids go without clear liquids at least three times longer than guidelines recommend prior to surgery, a new study says.
About 4 out of 5 children and infants (79%) are on liquid fasts far longer than necessary, risking dehydration and anxiety, researchers reported Sunday at the American Society of Anesthesiologists' annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
Guidelines recommend children not drink anything within two hours of a procedure, to reduce the risk of liquid entering the lungs and causing choking or pneumonia, researchers said.
But on average, kids are fasting from liquids hours longer than that, researchers found.
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