General anesthesia in early childhood and possible association with autism : a population-based matched cohort study
BACKGROUND: In experimental animal studies, exposure to general anesthesia in early childhood may results in changes in infant brain morphology and behavior, potentially leading to the development of autistic behaviors in the long-term. However, in clinical studies the role of exposure to general anesthesia in early childhood and the risk of autism is unknown. METHODS: This is a population-based c