News Health & Medicine

Early anesthesia may hinder kids’ learning

Children exposed to anesthetic drugs more than once before age 4 seem to face an added risk of developing a learning disability

By Nathan Seppa

- More than 2 years ago

Children under age 4 who get multiple courses of general anesthesia for surgery seem to be at greater risk of developing a learning disability later in childhood, compared with kids not exposed to the drugs, researchers report in the April Anesthesiology.