Question: What are the differences in the development of neuro-cognitive effects between healthy children with a single anesthesia exposure before age 36 months, compared with healthy siblings with no anesthesia exposure?
Answer: One recent study of 105 sibling pairs reported “no statistically significant differences in mean scores were found between sibling pairs in memory/learning, motor/processing speed, visuospatial function, attention, executive function, language, or behavior.” The authors concluded “Among healthy children with a single anesthesia exposure before age 36 months, compared with healthy siblings with no anesthesia exposure, there were no statistically significant differences in IQ scores in later childhood.” However these authors cautioned, “Further study of repeated exposure, prolonged exposure, and vulnerable subgroups is needed.” (Sun SL et al. Association between a single general anesthesia exposure before age 36 months and neurocognitive outcomes in later childhood. 2016 JAMA. 315(21): 2312-2320.