Here’s what you need to know:
1. The FDA safety announcement warns that recent studies suggest repeated or lengthy use of general anesthetic or sedation drugs in young children and pregnant women impact the development of young brains.
2. On the other hand, other studies have suggested that a single, short exposure to general anesthetic or sedation drugs does not have any negative effects on future behavior or learning.
3. The FDA asks healthcare professionals to “balance the benefits of appropriate anesthesia in young children and pregnant women against the potential risks, especially for procedures that may last longer than 3 hours or if multiple procedures are required in children under three years.”
4. The FDA is also requiring general anesthetic and sedation drugs to be labeled with warnings about the potential risks associated with their usage.
The FDA says it will “continue to monitor the use of these drugs in children and pregnant women and will update the public if additional information becomes available,” since additional research is needed to determine how general anesthetic and sedation drugs impact patients.
More articles on anesthesia:
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