Exposure to high levels of opioids in anesthesia may have lasting effects on the brains of critically ill infants, a new study found.
Relatively long term or repeated exposure has been linked to abnormalities in their brain developments.
Researchers from Boston’s Children’s Hospital examined MRI scans of the brains of children who had undergone one or more critical surgeries before their first birthdays.
The study revealed that those underwent surgery had abnormalities in the structures of their brains that could indicate eventual developmental impairments.
