The Japan Society for Clinical Anesthesia (JSCA) has demonstrated its commitment and support of the SmartTots Initiative with a donation of $20,000 for pediatric anesthesia research.

SmartTots is a multi‐year collaborative effort to increase the safety of anesthetic drugs for the millions of infants and children who undergo anesthesia each year. Early research suggests that some anesthetic drugs may be safer than others when administered to very young children, especially if they undergo multiple surgeries. To address the critical public health issues associated with the safe use of anesthesia and sedatives in young children and provide parents and doctors with the information they need when faced with such a dilemma, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) launched the SmartTots initiative.

The IARS is working with multiple stakeholders, including professional societies like the JSCA, academic research institutions, patient advocacy groups, and other government and nonprofit organizations, to increase the safety of anesthetic drugs for the millions of infants and children who undergo anesthesia each year.

“It’s inspirational to be told of the JSCA gift to SmartTots,” said Dr. Michael Roizen, Chair of the SmartTots Executive Board. “The donation makes a statement: this area of pediatric anesthesia research is important. There is a huge need for the initiative to keep kids safe and smart. SmartTots recently funded two research grants and we need significant funding for more innovative research projects waiting to be done to help keep kids safe and smart. Our goal is to encourage others to join these efforts to make a significant contribution to SmartTots research.”

About the JSCA

The JSCA encourages research and scientific progress in clinical anesthesia and contributes to the improvement of medical science, its growth, and dissemination. This is accomplished by annual conferences and workshops, publication of “The Journal of Japan Society for Clinical Anesthesia,” research and publicity work related to clinical anesthesia, cooperation with other internal and external societies, and other activities as needed. For more information on the JSCA, please visit their website.