Impact of Perinatal Anaesthesia and Analgesia on Neurocognitive Outcomes in Early Childhood

Impact of Perinatal Anaesthesia and Analgesia on Neurocognitive Outcomes in Early Childhood (PANO Study)

This study aims to determine the impact of perinatal exposure to anaesthesia and analgesia on neurocognitive outcomes in early childhood by analyzing neurocognitive data already obtained from the local prospective observational cohort study: Growing up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO).

We hypothesize that:

1. Perinatal exposure to anaesthesia and analgesia is associated with poorer neurocognitive outcomes at 6, 18, 24 and 36 months.
2. Maternal anxiety and depression during the antenatal and post-partum period is associated with poorer neurocognitive outcomes at 6, 18 24 and 36 months.

Early exposure to general anesthesia is associated long-term neurocognitive and behavioral abnormalities. However the impact of obstetric and perinatal exposure to anaesthesia and analgesia on long term neurocognitive outcomes in the absence of concurrent events (e.g. fetal hypoxia) is unknown. We aim to determine the impact of perinatal exposure to anaesthesia and analgesia on neurocognitive outcomes in early childhood by analyzing information already obtained from the local prospective observational cohort study: Growing up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO). GUSTO is a large prospective cohort trial currently conducted in Singapore examining maternal and neonatal outcomes including metabolic, psychological and developmental outcomes.

Information on infants' neurocognitive outcomes up to 24 months old are already available and we will correlate these outcomes to

1. The infants' perinatal exposure to anaesthesia and analgesia, as obtained from hospital records, and
2. Maternal anxiety and depression, as observed from analysis of questionnaires already available from GUSTO.

We hypothesize that:

1. Perinatal exposure to anaesthesia and analgesia is associated with poorer neurocognitive outcomes at 6, 18, 24 and 36 months.
2. Maternal anxiety and depression during the antenatal and post-partum period is associated with poorer neurocognitive outcomes at 6, 18 24 and 36 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

Infants who are enrolled in the neurocognitve arm of the GUSTO study (Growing up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes).

Exclusion Criteria:

No information available on previous exposure (maternal exposure in utero, perinatal and postnatal exposure) to general anaesthesia, spinal or epidural anaesthesia.