Abstract

The 2016 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety Communication states that brain development in children under 3 years old may be affected by “repeated or lengthy use of general anesthetic and sedation drugs” and advises healthcare providers to “discuss with parents, caregivers, and pregnant women the benefits, risks, and appropriate timing of surgery or procedures requiring anesthetic and sedation drugs.” This preliminary study’s aims were to explore (a) pediatric anesthesiologists’ attitudes regarding the FDA statement, (b) the statement’s impact on informed consent practices, and (c) whether institutional policies pertaining to disclosure of neurotoxicity risk exist.

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