[History of pediatric anesthesiology]

Among advances in medicine during the past 150 years, certainly the introduction of surgical anesthesia must be considered the greatest gifts of medical profession to mankind, especially to children. Pediatric anesthesia has progressed rapidly throughout the years. Since the first recorded case of pediatric anesthesia in 1842 to the latest advancement in training, technology, medicine and equipment in the last decades of this century, many historic moments have been following each other. Throughout the first decades of 20th century, most physicians treated children as miniature adults. It is believed that the development of modern pediatric anesthesia started in 1930. To offer a historic perspective, the evolution of new field through its rapid growth was divided into two chronologic categories: first (1930-1950) and second (1950-present). During the first period (1930-1950), the anesthesia techniques and equipment adjusted to different children's age were developed. In the second, together with further technique and equipment refinement, modern anesthetics and vital system surveillance (monitoring) were introduced into everyday practice. The keyto the advances in pediatric anesthesiology was difficulties leading to new inventions with consequent improvement of techniques and methods. This article reviews the origins and development of anesthesia for infants and children in the world and Serbia, emphasizing the contributions of many devoted physicians that represented the major force leading to inevitable evolution of pediatric anesthesia.