Long-term dangers of childhood surgery
Cough syrup isn’t the only thing you should think twice about giving your kids. Now there’s evidence that children exposed to general anesthesia could be at increased risk for developmental issues.
A new study revealed that children under age three who’d had hernia surgery were twice as likely to develop behavior or developmental issues as children who’d never undergone surgery.
While this may seem like an earth shaking finding that should lead to the curtailing of all but the most vital pediatric surgical procedures, many anesthesiologists are skeptical. According to Dr. Peter Davis, the anesthesiologist in chief at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, “This is an important study, but there are a lot of confounding variables.”
Davis says that the risks of undergoing anesthesia are larger for children than for adults, but that generally the threat of serious risks are quite small.
The methodology of the study has led many doctors to question the results. The study, conducted at New York City’s Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, examined 625 children three and younger who’d undergone hernia operations. This group was then compared to 5,000 randomly selected children of the same age group. Thirty (4.8 percent) of the kids from the anesthesia group were found to have developmental or behavioral issues, compared to 1.5 percent of the non-operation kids.
This seems to be one of those “studies” that I hate. Yes the anesthesia group was “twice” as likely as the 5,000 non-anesthesia kids to have an issue. But remember, only 4.8 percent of these kids represented “twice.” It’s not much, but “twice as likely” sure makes for a much more eye-catching headline, doesn’t it/
And what exactly do they mean by “developmental or behavioral issues?” The study’s authors don’t bother to define this.
Davis goes on to point out even more flaws in this incredibly varied “control” group. He wonders whether all these children had the same level of prenatal care, what their socioeconomic stats was, and if they’d been administered anesthesia by the same doctor the list goes on.
“I’m not sure the complete story is quite here yet,” Davis said.
I’m inclined to agree with Dr. Davis that the findings of this study could be pulled apart and re-assembled to draw more than one conclusion.
But regardless of the quality of this particular study, I think we sometimes lose track of how vulnerable children are when it comes to medical science. Even healthy and strong little bodies are still little bodies with a great deal of growing up yet to be done. But we’re so quick on the draw with health care here in the States that I believe we often subject our children to needless treatments that can overtax their underdeveloped bodies.
