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Association Between Exposure of Children to General Anesthesia and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Mariana L Laporta1, Juraj Sprung1, Caroline A Fejedelem1
1Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|October 7, 2021
Summary
Exposure to general anesthesia before age three did not increase autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk. This study found no significant association between early anesthesia exposure and later ASD diagnosis in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Concerns exist regarding potential neurodevelopmental effects of early-life exposure to general anesthesia.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with increasing prevalence.
- Understanding environmental risk factors for ASD is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between exposure to general anesthesia before the age of three and the incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- To determine if early-life anesthesia exposure is a risk factor for developing ASD later in life.
Main Methods:
- A nested, 1:2 matched-case control study design was utilized.
- Data were sourced from a population-based birth cohort in Olmsted County, MN (1976-2000).
- ASD cases (n=499) were matched with controls (n=998) based on sex, date of birth, and maternal age, with conditional logistic regression analysis.
Main Results:
- After adjusting for birth weight and health status, no statistically significant association was found between general anesthesia exposure before age three and ASD.
- The odds ratio for ASD following early anesthesia exposure was 1.27 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.92-1.76).
Conclusions:
- This study indicates that exposure to general anesthesia prior to a child's third birthday is not associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder.
- Findings suggest that early-life anesthesia is unlikely to be a significant contributing factor to ASD development.
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