Infants exposed to anaesthesia many times are more at risk of developing ADHD

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that children who have been exposed many times to anaesthesia before the age of two are at a higher risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).

The study included 5357 children, all born between 1976 and 1982 in Rochester, MD, USA, of whom 341 had identified ADHD. Of children who had no postnatal anaesthesia before the age of two, the incidence of ADHD at 19 years of age was 7.3%. For those who had one or two exposures of anaesthesia before the age of two, the incidence of ADHD was 10.7%. After adjustments were made for gestational age, sex, birth weight and comorbid health conditions, exposure to multiple, but not single, procedures requiring general anaesthesia was associated with increased risk of ADHD.

Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings

First published in February 2012

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