NPO Guidelines

Our general NPO (no eating or drinking) instructions are listed below. These are enforced to keep your child as safe as possible. If these guidelines are not followed, your child’s procedure or surgery may be delayed or cancelled. A small number of children will receive special guidelines that differ from these. Follow the instructions given by your anesthesia provider.

  1. Stop food and candy at midnight.
  2. Stop formula and milk 6 hours before the procedure.
  3. Stop breast milk 4 hours before the procedure.
  4. Stop all clear liquids 3 hours before the procedure.

Clear liquids include only water, clear apple juice (no pulp, no apple cider), pedialyte, and Gatorade.