Answer questions about the side effects of anesthetics on your child

Anesthesia is the process of using medicine to prevent pain during surgery. Although many experts recommend this as a safe procedure, many parents still worry about the side effects of anesthetics in their young children.

Whether for children or adults, surgery is not a simple matter. If your baby is on surgery, you will surely have a dozen questions to ask your doctor regarding anesthesia. aFamilyToday Health has selected some frequently asked questions from parents and answers to help you have a better overview of side effects of anesthetics in children.

Is anesthesia safe for babies?

Many parents worry and fear that anesthetics may affect their child's brain. However, according to most surgeons, anesthesiologists - resuscitation, with current technology, anesthesia - resuscitation is completely safe for young children and nothing to worry about. Although the anesthetics also have certain side effects, there is little sign of them. Currently, scientists are continuing to do research to improve the safety of anesthetic drugs when used in children.

Can anesthetics affect the baby's brain?

Scientists have been studying the side effects of anesthetic on the brain for over 20 years and have shown that only long and frequent anesthesia can experience learning and behavioral problems. Future. If used carefully, it will not cause much problems.

Is general anesthesia safe for babies?

For newborn babies, the safest way to perform surgery is general anesthesia. In general, these anesthetics have certain effects. However, the extent of the effect will depend on your weight, age, medical history, rate of development, and the type of surgery performed.

What are the common side effects of anesthesia in a newborn?

After anesthesia, your baby may experience some side effects such as:

Tired

Dizziness

Irritability

Sore throat

Cough

Nausea and vomiting

If this happens, the doctor will give the baby medicine. In addition to these side effects, there are also serious side effects that can lead to death such as:

Have an allergic reaction to the drug

Brain damaged

The heart stops beating

These side effects are very rare. The anesthesiologist will closely monitor the baby during the surgery and quickly handle any problems.

How do doctors ensure safety for the baby during anesthesia?

Babies and toddlers will react to the anesthetic differently than adults. To ensure safety, the doctor will carefully monitor the baby's breathing rate, oxygen concentration, blood pressure, and heart rate to adjust the appropriate amount of anesthetic.

What should I do if my baby needs surgery?

The first thing you should do is discuss with your doctor all the benefits and risks associated with surgery. Here are some questions you should ask:

Surgery time: Does the child's situation need urgent surgery? If it's not urgent, you can wait until your baby is 3 years old before surgery. According to the studies, the side effects of the anesthetics decrease with age.

Talk to the anesthesiologist: You should talk to your doctor about your child's allergies, the medications he or she is taking, the breathing and heart problems your child is having, any recent illnesses he has. these are like colds, flu ... and the child's medical history as well as their family history.

Keep an upbeat mind: Don't worry too much about anesthesia. Understand that anesthesia is a must to avoid pain if your child needs surgery.

Is there an alternative to anesthesia during surgery?

Currently, scientists are trying to find safe sedatives to replace anesthesia in surgery. According to research done in animals, the drugs used for anesthesia all affect brain development if taken for a long time, there are also drugs that have no side effects but it does not. suitable for human surgical procedures.

Is anesthesia safe for a toddler?

According to research, the side effects of the anesthetics decrease with age. Therefore, for those surgeries that do not need to be performed urgently such as cleft palate surgery ... you can wait for your child over 3 years old and then perform. In addition, if it is possible to use medication instead of surgery, you can try and wait until the baby is older to reduce the risk of side effects from the anesthetic.

My baby was assigned an MRI scan. The baby is currently 2 years old, can he or she be photographed without anesthesia?

Most young children cannot lie still for the MRI and require general anesthesia for the baby to sleep during the procedure. During the MRI scan, the baby must lie motionless in a long narrow tube for 1-2 hours. Therefore, without anesthesia, the baby will be very uncomfortable and difficult to lie still.

What if my baby gets sick before the surgery?

See your doctor to reschedule if your baby is sick near the time to be ready for surgery. This is because this may increase the risk of side effects during anesthesia.

All anesthetics have certain side effects. Most of these side effects are rare, but if possible, wait until your baby gets older before giving them surgery.