Anesthesia May Lead To Child Disorders, says Columbia University New Study

A study released this week by Columbia University researchers found that young children exposed to anesthesia may be more prone to developing behavioral and developmental disorders than their peers, though researchers said the study was limited. End Quote

New York, NY (1888PressRelease) November 11, 2008 - A study released this week by Columbia University researchers found that young children exposed to anesthesia may be more prone to developing behavioral and developmental disorders than their peers, though researchers said the study was limited.

One prominent anesthesiologist says he believes that parents can help alleviate their fears about anesthesia by forming a solid relationship with their child’s surgeon.

Dr. Armen Ketchedjian, author of the book Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery, says that parents are often in the dark about what their child will experience while under general anesthesia and what risks may be associated with the drugs used during surgery.

“The risks to children undergoing surgery with general anesthesia are slightly higher than they are in adults” says Dr. Ketch, as he is known to his patients. “Children have smaller windpipes than adults and that makes the procedures a little more complex. It’s important for parents to talk to their child’s doctors to better understand what the procedure involves and what their child may experience.”

Research into the link between anesthesia and developmental disorders was first established using rats, and the anesthesiology community has been conducting further research since then on a recommendation from the FDA.

“We in the medical profession are held to a higher standard and so we can’t take anything for granted,” says Dr. Ketch.

Dr. Ketch’s book is a guide for parents whose children need surgery and a big part of the book’s message is the importance of education for parents. “Education,” says Dr. Ketch, “is a great way to help dispel myths and help parents make more informed decisions.”

Will It Hurt? is an easy-to-read resource that will give parents, their children and their families the help and reassurance they need to make any surgical experience as stress-free as possible.

Listed in The Guide to America’s Top Anesthesiologists by the Consumer Research Council of America, Dr. Ketch trained at Cornell Medical Center, with a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a pain management elective at Boston Children’s Hospital. He has worked to help develop new techniques in ambulatory anesthesia, taught medical students and residents, and cared for more than 10,000 patients.

Dr. Ketch is also the author of the children’s book Golden Apples (winner of the 2008 Reviewer’s Choice Award), a beautifully illustrated book that aims to help educate children about the dangers of drug abuse.

For more information, contact the author directly at support ( @ ) dr dot ketch dot com dot

WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC and author Dr. Armen G. Ketchedjian chose Arbor Books, Inc. (www.ArborBooks.com) to design and promote Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery. Arbor Books is an internationally renowned, full-service book design, ghostwriting and marketing firm.

(Will It Hurt? A Parent’s Practical Guide to Children’s Surgery by Dr. Ketch; ISBN: 0-9815373-0-8; $14.95; 172 pages; 5½” x 8 ½”; softcover with illustrations; WARREN ENTERPRISES, LLC)

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