Researchers Conduct First-of-Its-Kind Review of Anesthesia Exposure’s Impact on Childhood Brain Development
Children's Hospital Los AngelesAnesthesia makes it possible for infants and children to undergo medical procedures and surgeries that save or improve the quality of their lives. Some children must receive anesthesia multiple times while very young. While anesthesia is an essential tool, it may also disrupt the developing brain, leading to later cognitive and behavioral issues. Accumulating evidence from in vitro, animal and human clinical trials suggests that anesthesia can harm children’s brains and neurological development. But because of varying study designs, no consensus yet exists on the level of anesthesia exposure risk that could translate into practical guidance for clinicians on how to balance its risks against its benefits.