Fasting & Consent For Procedures For Childhood Cancer

Key points about fasting and consent for procedures for childhood cancer

• your anaesthetist or nurse will tell you exactly what time your child needs to stop eating and drinking
• informed consent is when your child's healthcare team provide you and your child with all the information for making a decision about undergoing a procedure

How do I know when my child needs to stop food and fluids before anaesthesia and sedation?

If your child is having anaesthesia or sedation, your anaesthetist or nurse will tell you exactly what time your child needs to stop eating and drinking.

Stopping eating means all food including:

• jelly
• lollies
• chewing gum
• baby formula
• cow's milk
• juice containing pulp
• milk products such as yoghurt and ice-cream
• fizzy drinks

If your baby or child is breastfed, you will receive instructions about the time of the last feed.

The healthcare team will encourage your child to have clear fluid drinks up until closer to the operation. Your local healthcare team will give you instructions about when to stop. Clear drinks include:

• water
• clear juice
• ice popsicles
• Pedialyte from the pharmacy

What is informed consent?

Your doctor and other health professionals will share with you and your child all the information and advice you need to make a decision about having a procedure. This is called informed consent.

The ethical basis for the principle of informed consent comes from Right 7 of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights. You can ask for a copy of the Code from your hospital.

When you give consent, your health professional will ask you to sign a consent form. You might just need to give verbal consent for something minor.

Read more about childhood cancer treatments

Read more about childhood cancer