Until now, little has been known about the effects of general anesthesia on children under age 3. Some experts have wondered whether such exposure would cause deficits in neurocognitive function for children in this age group. Research in juvenile animals has shown an increased risk of cognitive problems after anesthesia exposure.

So what’s a parent to do when a child requires surgery? Sometimes, it can’t be avoided. Thankfully, new research indicates parents can put concerns about cognitive function aside, at least for the first exposure to anesthesia.

A study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children exposed to anesthesia once before age 3 are no more likely than their unexposed siblings to suffer cognitive setbacks.

The study included 105 pairs of siblings. One child in each pair had not received anesthesia before age 3, and one had. The study analyzed motor function, memory, learning ability, language and other skills.

The researchers from Columbia University followed up when the children were between the ages of 8 and 15. Within the sibling pairs, there was no significant difference in IQ and cognitive abilities between the two groups. The researchers noted that the effect of anesthesia on girls needs further study, since most of the children in the study who underwent treatment were boys.

No one wants to see young children undergoing any type of medical procedure, but sometimes it’s necessary. At least the effect of anesthesia on learning and cognition doesn’t have to be one of parents’ main concerns for a child’s first surgery.