General anaesthesia under the age of 4 years has minimal impact on future academic performance

Design: Cohort study Patients: All children born in Sweden between 1973 and 1993 who had a single anaesthetic exposure before age 4 years (33514 children). Comparison: 159 619 matched children who had not been exposed to anaesthesia. Outcomes: Average (mean) grades in school at age 16 years and IQ test scores at age 18 years obtained at the time of military conscription. | Outcomes | Mean (95% CI) | || | Mean reduction in school grades at age 16 years compared with unexposed children | 0.41% (0.7% to 0.12%) | | Mean reduction in IQ scores at age 18 years compared with unexposed children | 0.97% (0.15% to 1.78%) | | | OR (95% CI) | | Likelihood of having grades below the 10th centile at age 16 years compared with unexposed children | 1.02 (0.98 to 1.07) | | Likelihood of having no recorded school grades at age 16 years compared with unexposed children | 1.29 (1.17 to 1.42) | Although general anaesthesia under the age of 4 years was associated with a statistically significant reduction in school grades at age 16 years and IQ scores at …