Anesthesia may harm young children

General anesthesia may increase the risk of behavioral and developmental problems in young children, according to a study presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Orlando.

Studies in animals have suggested that general anesthesia may be toxic to a developing brain. To assess the risk in children, Dr. Lena S. Sun of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, analyzed data from 625 children under the age of 3 who were exposed to general anesthesia as part of an uncomplicated hernia repair. When comparing these children to a random sample of 5,000 children with no history of anesthesia exposure, Sun found that the children who'd had anesthesia were twice as likely to be diagnosed later with a behavioral or developmental disorder.

The children in the study were taken from a Medicaid population and thus may not have the same health and socioeconomic advantages of children in the control group. Nevertheless, says Sun: "The excess risk of developmental and behavioral disorders in the children exposed to anesthesia cannot be completely explained by demographic factors or confounding health factors including premature birth or low birth weight."

Sun, a professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics, cautioned that the results of her study are preliminary. Much more research is needed to understand whether general anesthesia harms young children. In the meantime, Sun said, parents should not keep their children from having necessary surgical procedures.

- Shari Roan

Photo: An infant receives anesthesia in preparation for surgery. Credit: Don Barletti / Los Angeles Times