The Relationship of Exposure to Anesthesia on Outcomes in Children With Isolated Oral Clefts

This study evaluated the relationship between exposure to anesthesia and previously identified differences in cognitive functioning, growth, and volumetric brain measures among a sample of children, adolescents, and young adults with isolated oral clefts. Data from a cross-sectional study were combined with a retrospective chart review. Data were obtained for 87 participants with isolated cleft lip and/or palate (55% male), ranging from 7.5 to 27 years old (mean = 15.78, standard deviation = 4.58). Measures of interest included cognitive functioning, growth measures, and brain volumes. Number of surgeries and time under anesthesia were obtained through systematic medical record review. Potential sex and cleft type differences in exposure as well as relationships between anesthesia exposure and outcome measures were evaluated. Participants with isolated cleft lip and palate had more surgeries and were under anesthesia longer. For participants with isolated cleft lip only, more surgeries were correlated to lower verbal IQ and higher frontal lobe volume.