First anesthesia exposure effects on short-term neurocognitive function among 1- to 36-month-old children: a case-control pilot study.

Background: Multiple human studies have shown no significant long-term results of anesthesia exposure during early childhood compared to the general population; however, reports on short-term neurodevelopmental assessment before and after anesthesia exposure are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term characteristics of neurocognitive function post-anesthesia in noncardiac surgery compared with baseline.

Methods: This prospective case-control pilot study recruited healthy participants in the control group and hospitalized children in the anesthesia group.