Neurobehavioural effects of propofol on the neonate following elective caesarean section

Forty mothers undergoing elective Caesarean section under general anaesthesia were allocated randomly to receive either propofol 2.8 mg kg-1 (n = 20) or thiopentone 5 mg kg-1 (n = 20) for induction of anaesthesia. Twenty neonates delivered by uncomplicated vaginal delivery were evaluated also as unmedicated controls. Neurobehavioural examinations were carried out at 1, 4 and 24 h after delivery. Infants in the propofol group had lower Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min; 25% of them had muscular hypotonus at 5 min. This hypotonus was not noted during the Early Neonatal Neurobehavioural Scale (ENNS) examination. Newborn children examined 1 h after birth, after maternal anaesthesia with propofol, showed a depression in alert state, pinprick and placing reflexes, and mean decremental count in Moro and light. There was a generalized irritability in 25% of them. This depression was not observed at 4 h.