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Pediatric Anesthetic and Sedation Neurotoxicity in the Developing Brain

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Sedation and Analgesia for the Pediatric Intensivist

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Abstract

In December 2016 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement about the risk for potential neurotoxicity from exposure to anesthesia/sedation in infants under 3 years of age. While there is convincing evidence from animal studies, human studies have been fraught with confounding issues and have been less compelling. Overall it is encouraging that clinical studies have provided reassurance that brief single exposure to anesthetics/sedatives does not cause overt, persistent cognitive deficits. In this chapter, we discuss mechanisms of neurotoxicity from preclinical studies, describe findings from extensive clinical studies, and provide strategies to minimize the risk of potential neurotoxicity in infants and children.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Jessica Raper

  2. Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Pradip P. Kamat

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  1. Jessica Raper
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  2. Pradip P. Kamat
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Correspondence to Jessica Raper .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Pradip P. Kamat

  2. Professor of Pediatrics/Pediatric Critical Care, University of Louisville, “Just For Kids” Critical Care Center, Norton Children’s Hospital, Louisville, KY, USA

    John W. Berkenbosch

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Raper, J., Kamat, P.P. (2021). Pediatric Anesthetic and Sedation Neurotoxicity in the Developing Brain. In: Kamat, P.P., Berkenbosch, J.W. (eds) Sedation and Analgesia for the Pediatric Intensivist. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52555-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52555-2_17

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