Are Anesthesia and Surgery during Infancy Associated with Altered Academic Performance during Childhood?

Although studies in neonatal animals show that anesthetics have neurotoxic effects, relevant human evidence is limited. We examined whether children who had surgery during infancy showed deficits in academic achievement. We attempted to contact parents of 577 children who, during infancy, had one of three operations typically performed in otherwise healthy children. We compared scores on academic achievement tests with population norms. Composite scores were available for 287 patients. The mean normal curve equivalent score was 43.0±22.4 (mean±SD), lower than the expected normative value of 50, P