child in hospital test

[Abifred]

My 16 month has had digestive problems since birth. For the past 16 months I have been to see a range of paediatricians dieticians and doctors. I now have a consultant at Brighton hospital who specialises in gastric problems. My baby has to go in for a bowel biopsy next week and they have asked me to withdraw food for 24 hours.He is not even allowed a bottle of milk. I am supposed to go to the hospital the day before at 10 am spend all day and all night and his biopsy will be around lunchtime the next day. I Don't know how I am going to cope with this because he will obviously be hungry and will not understand why I am not feeding him. In addition to that I have to entertain him on my own (no one else is allowed in there with me) for all that time. Has anybody got any helpful suggestions?

I’m assuming that the food withdrawal will be in hospital? In that case he will be hooked up to a drip so won’t be thirsty per se and although hungry will be feeling ok in terms of electrolytes etc. I had a 5yo in hospital on nil by mouth for 14 hours twice in the space of a week last year (operation running late and bleed afterwards). He was actually ok, I was surprised and very proud of how he handled it. The main problem was that I was starving and I’m not sure how to manage that under covid rules as DH and I did it in shifts

BTW I hope your son is now well and over it. x

I don't think they will put him on a drip for that length of time. He is lively despite being unwell.

I think you’ll find the probably will give him some IV fluid (If he’s not being allowed clear fluids by mouth), 24 hours without any fluid intake would be a long time for a 16 month old to go. They might not have him hooked up to a drip per se, they may give him boluses of fluid into a cannula with a syringe.

Since they’re wanting you in for 24 hours pre procedure they must have some clinical reason they want him in hospital, otherwise they’d have told you to turn up on the day with a a 24hrs starved baby.

Also, just because no friends or family are allowed in there, it doesn’t mean you won’t have the support of the children’s nurse, HCA’s and play workers. I’m sure they’re well versed in how cross a very hungry baby is going to get.

I pad with favourite TV shows, books, colouring bits.

I would assume that the play specialists will still be working on kids wards so I wouldn't worry too much. There will be other kids etc in there too

@Abifred I’m not a paediatrician so I don’t know what they will do, but they will have to keep him hydrated so I would expect some form of IV hydration if he’s nil by mouth. Could be a drip, could be a bolus, could be a bit of both. Children’s hospitals usually have good ideas on how to keep children as happy as possible though I don’t think there are any play therapists around at the moment

Sorry - cross posted, didn’t mean to disagree re: play therapists. I have no idea what’s happening with them at the moment but I know that they weren’t working as much earlier in the pandemic

Everywhere I know of will still have play staff. But bring in a bag of things he likes to keep him distracted, favourite toy, ipad, something new and exciting to keep him distracted. It might be a long day but you'll get through it! Find out from the ward if he is cometely nil by mouth (in which case he probably will need a drip) but I think its more likely he will be allowed clear fluids. If this is the case ask if he can have jelly and clear ice lollies, they won't fill him but might distract him and give him a bit of sugar.

Is he going in the day before for bowel prep? (Giving him medicine to clear out his bowel)

Thank you for your advice. He is on vast amounts of Movicol already so the bowel should be clear . Just cant understand why we have to go in so soon.It will be more than 24 hours before procedure

I had same procedure done and I was on a drip, was allowed some water in between, as they need to keep you hydrated enough, think I wasn’t allowed any fluids for hours before procedure, Due to your child’s age they would want to observe him longer before doing procedure,

My poor baby has now gone in for his surgery. I am dumbfounded at the lack of empathy from the nursing staff. I was shut in a room for 9 hours with my 16 month old. No one came to check how we were. The staff all round the desk chatting. Then when my child emptied his bowels with a vengeance due to the medication he was given, it went everywhere including on me. Not once did any staff offer to keep an eye on my child while I cleaned myself up. They said a cleaner would come but never did and I cleaned it all myself. Considering hygiene is supposed to be paramount , no deep clean has been done up to now.
I am amazed at how cold the staff have been and considering its a children's hospital, I am not impressed. Dont know why I bothered to clap for these people !!

I’m sorry you was treated so badly my son at 23 months had a colonoscopy and other investigations at gosh and the care was second to none we was in a week and I remember it being he’ll hope your all home now and it’s over

I hope your little one is ok and sorry you had a bad experience. We were in hospital recently for 4 weeks and the staff were lovely and the cleaners were cleaning everything all the time. I would complain to PALS when you go home.