SmartTots updates consensus statement on anesthesia safety in young children

Editor's Note

SmartTots on October 13 released an updated “Consensus Statement On the Use of Anesthetic and Sedative Drugs in Infants and Toddlers.”

There is growing evidence from animal studies and observational studies in humans suggesting that adverse effects on behavior, learning, and memory may result from exposure to anesthetics and sedation during periods of rapid brain development, the statement says.

SmartTots is a public-private partnership between the Food and Drug Administration and the International Anesthesia Research Society to coordinate and fund research to make anesthesia safer for infants and young children.

San Francisco - October 13, 2015 - SmartTots today released an updated consensus statement that emphasizes a need for more research into the safety of anesthetics and sedatives administered to infants and young children under the age of 4. The statement was endorsed by 19 leading U.S.