ADHD Common Among Children Exposed Multiple Times to Anesthetics?

Research at the Mayo Clinic shows elevated rates of ADHD among children who underwent several exposures to anesthetic agents, especially in children less than 3 years of age. The effects of anesthesia among younger brains are poorly understood, because results of experiments are done in laboratory animals may not exactly reflect on humans.

General anesthetic agents are often blamed to cause memory loss or brain changes by people, but there is little research to back such claims. Just recently, animal tests show that anesthetic gases do causes brain changes in animals.

 

The study

The study utilized results of an earlier epidemiological study done during 1970’s in Rochester, Minnesota which focused on 341 cases of ADHD. Researchers then analyzed medical records of each case of exposure to anesthesia and surgery before the children reached 3 years of age.

Results show that children exposed who underwent several general anesthetic operations had ADHD rates of 17.9 percent while those who were not only had rate of 7.3 percent. This was evident even if factors like gestational age, sex, birth weight and other health conditions were considered.

Children who underwent general anesthetic operation once appear not to be in increased risk to ADHD. Significant rates are more prominent to those who had two or more general anesthetic operations.

 

This is just an observation, says the researchers, and it does not mean that anesthesia can cause ADHD. They added that there are more factors to be considered and larger studies will say whether anesthesia does cause the condition or not.

The study is done with support from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Mayo Clinic Center, National Institutes of Health and Rochester Epidemiology Project.

The study is available in the February edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

 

 

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