4 versus 6 hours formula fasting for infants undergoing anaesthesia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Comparison of the impact of a 4 or 6 hour formula milk fast prior to general anaesthesia on gastric residual volume in infants.
IRAS ID
334555
Contact name
Emily SAFFER
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kings College Hospital
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Children are required to fast before general anaesthesia to minimise their stomach contents, as anything left in the stomach can enter the lungs once the child is anaesthetised. The effect of this on the lungs and breathing depends on the type, amount and acidity of stomach contents.
Traditional fasting guidelines of 6 hours for formula milk may be unnecessarily long. Children also tend to be fasted for longer than the guidelines advise, as they may not always feed on cue, and delays in the hospital can occur on the day of surgery. Prolonged fasting in young children is less well tolerated than in adults and can lead to low blood sugar and acidosis, as well as distress for the child and parents.
We want to find out if children aged up to 12 months who are fed with formula milk 4 hours prior to an anaesthetic have similar levels of stomach contents as those who are fed at 6 hours.REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0499
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion