A study in JAMA found that a single exposure to general anesthesia in young children is not associated with impaired neurocognitive development.
The researchers identified 105 healthy sibling pairs, in which one sibling received a single anesthesia exposure during inguinal hernia surgery before the age of 36 months, while the other sibling had no anesthesia exposure. They analyzed participants' neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes using IQ tests.
Here's what you need to know:
1. The mean IQ scores for the two groups were not significantly different; mean IQ score for participants exposed to anesthesia was 111 for full scale, 108 for performance and 111 for verbal; the mean IQ score for participants not exposed to anesthesia was 111 for full scale, 107 for performance and 111 for verbal.
2. There were no statistically significant differences in mean scores for sibling pairs in regards to memory/learning, motor/processing speed, visuospatial function, attention, executive function, language or behavior.
3. The researchers emphasized that although a single anesthesia exposure in young children did not seem to impact neurocognitive development, "further study of repeated exposure, prolonged exposure and vulnerable subgroups is needed."