Is Anaesthesia Safe for Your Child?
If your child needs surgery, you may be worried about anaesthesia. You’re not alone!
Many of the times, parents would ask if there are possible effects of anaesthesia on a child’s learning ability or memory.
In late 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised that “repeated or lengthy (>3 hours) use” of general anaesthestic or sedation drugs during surgeries or procedures in children younger than 3 years old may affect development of children’s brains.
In fact, several big studies support their safety and that children’s long-term cognitive development is unaffected if exposure is limited and used in children who are older.
Therefore, if your child really needs the surgery, it would be inappropriate to deny or delay surgery that your child needs for the fear of unknown consequences.
The risk of general anaesthesia is different to every child, depending on his/her unique health condition. You should discuss with your surgeon/anaesthetist to balance the risks and benefits of different operations prior to making any decision.