Anesthesia Effects On Children

WASHINGTON (AP) -- There's new concern about the effects of anesthesia on young children.

The Food and Drug Administration says animal studies suggest that anesthesia can be harmful to the developing brain. But the F-D-A stresses there's no evidence the same is true in humans.

Still, the F-D-A decided to highlight the concerns so doctors can better weigh the benefits of surgery on the young.

The studies suggest that young animals are most susceptible to anesthesia and sedation drugs during the period of rapid brain growth. In humans, that stage extends to about age three.

Every year, an estimated 600-thousand children age three and under are given general anesthesia in the U-S.

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