What effects does general anesthesia have on children?

Children have relatively weak resistance. If a child is going to have surgery, general anesthesia is usually performed to ensure the operation goes smoothly. Giving the child general anesthesia will not affect the operation. However, many parents worry that general anesthesia will affect their child’s future, such as affecting the development of the brain and body. Is this worry reasonable? What effects will general anesthesia have on children?

1. Does general anesthesia have any effect on a child's brain?

Normal anesthesia has no effect on the baby's brain nerves. Febrile convulsions do not have much impact. Generally, febrile convulsions are short-lived, 1-3 minutes. If they last more than 5 minutes, it may cause damage to the baby's brain cells. However, children have strong regenerative abilities and damaged cells can regenerate.

2. Why does a minor surgery require general anesthesia?

For adult patients, local anesthesia only causes slight injection pain when the local anesthetic is injected, which they can fully tolerate and cooperate in completing the surgical treatment. However, for young babies, even a minor operation that only causes slight pain will cause them to cry and make noise and be unable to cooperate, so general anesthesia is needed. This way, the baby can undergo surgery unconsciously while sleeping, and can maintain a good cooperative position. There is also no problem of local swelling due to local anesthetic solution affecting the surgical field of view, which is conducive to the doctor completing the operation as quickly and as well as possible.

3. Does general anesthesia have any impact on the baby’s intelligence?

From ancient times to the present, there has not been a single human general anesthesia experiment in the world to prove that general anesthesia has an impact on human memory and intelligence. In other words, the claim that general anesthesia can damage intelligence has no scientific basis.

4. Is it right to choose methods without anesthesia whenever possible?

If the baby can tolerate certain operations completely, it would be best to avoid anesthesia, as this can avoid adverse reactions or complications of anesthesia. However, many surgical operations require anesthesia, which not only allows the operation to proceed smoothly and safely, but also prevents the various effects of hazardous stimulation caused by the operation, maintains the baby's respiratory and circulatory stability, avoids adverse experiences, and maintains physical and mental health. At this time, the role of anesthesia is far more beneficial than harmful, and it is even a necessary guarantee for the baby's life safety. In this case, choosing not to anesthetize will be counterproductive.

5. When your baby needs anesthesia, what should you pay attention to during pre- and post-care?

Before anesthesia, prevent your baby from coughing or catching a cold due to cold, and pay attention to the control of fasting and drinking before surgery (as shown in the following table). Babies will be afraid of changes in the environment and leaving their parents' arms, so it is best for parents to accompany their babies into the anesthesia waiting room, let the baby complete basic anesthesia with their parents, and leave after the baby falls asleep. It is best to bring a toy that the baby likes so that he can receive anesthesia unknowingly while playing with the toy. Older children can communicate with him before the operation to dispel his concerns.