Medical experts are warning families not to pressurise young children to partake in any type of fasting.

Paediatrician and CEO of Paed-IQ BabyLine, Dr Iqbal Karbanee, warned that fasting can pose a danger to kids.

‘Young children who fast can suffer from hypoglycemia, a condition that sees their blood sugar drop, and can cause them to become weak, dizzy or even unconscious,’ said Dr Karbanee.

He added that, while adults are better able to cope with long periods of not having food or water, for younger children, the dangers far outweigh the reasons for fasting.

‘Young children can’t read their body signals yet, so they don’t know that they may be becoming dehydrated, for example.

This puts them at a higher risk of having an adverse reaction when fasting,’ said Karbanee.

‘Children also can’t regulate their temperatures well.’

He said the wearing of face masks has also made it difficult to see when children start showing signs of lethargy, difficulty breathing and a lack of concentration, especially if they are at school and active on the playground.

‘As there is no law or rule preventing kids from fasting, parents should be warned that fasting, and particularly the absence of fluids, could have a negative effect on performance in school in young children,’ he said.

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