Neurodevelopment After General Anesthesia in Infancy

Brief exposure to general anesthetics in young infants did not cause neurodevelopmental impairment at age 2.

Animal and human data suggest that general anesthesia in young infants may cause brain injury and neurodevelopmental impairment. However, the effects of the duration of exposure and of other perioperative risk factors have not been established.

In an international multicenter trial from 2007 to 2013, researchers prospectively randomized 722 infants undergoing herniorrhaphy to awake-regional or sevoflurane general anesthesia. In this planned interim analysis, the investigators report the 2-year Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III scores at age 2 years for 238 children in the awake-regional anesthesia group and 294 in the general anesthesia group.

The two groups had similar median duration of surgery (about 28 minutes), mean chr…

Reviewing Author

Robin Steinhorn, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardActelion Pharmaceuticals

Editorial BoardsJournal of Pediatrics

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Pediatric Society (President); American Board of Pediatrics (Board of Directors)

Robin Steinhorn, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardActelion Pharmaceuticals

Editorial BoardsJournal of Pediatrics

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Pediatric Society (President); American Board of Pediatrics (Board of Directors)

Neurodevelopment After General Anesthesia in Infancy

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Reviewing Author