Anesthesia possibly harmful to young children

Are kids safe "under the gas" when surgery is required? According to the reiteration of recent reports this past week, anesthesia used in young children can cause possible brain-related side effects (due to the brain still developing in children).

Although the FDA states that they have no evidence that anesthesia and sedation drugs can cause brain damage in children, many recent animal study suggests otherwise.

Numerous animal studies find that a majority of the drugs typically used to knock out children before surgery do kill brain cells in young rats -- but does the same effect apply to young humans as well? According to a study published by FDA scientists this month, experiments on laboratory rats and other animals have shown that the drugs can lead to subtle but prolonged changes in behavior, including memory and learning impairments. Yet the FDA officially says there is no concern. Nice consistency, there.