General Anaesthetic and young babies

[Mildly]

Has anyone had their LO have to be put under general anaesthetic for an operation or procedure? If so how old was your LO? I'm assuming the younger the baby the more risks to being put under.

My LO will have to be put under a general in order to have his tongue tie cut. Not having it done will not endanger his life but there is the possibility that he may have speech problems later in life and if he has it done it may improve his feeding on the breast. I am starting to wonder whether the risks of a general outweigh the benefits of the procedure. If the decision was yours to make about your LO would you go for the tongue tie release?

Thanks.

 

[CoreysMummy]

I was put under many many times when I was a baby to have various opperations and prociedures... I was fine every time. The risk my mum was told is very small. And this was like 22.5 years ago, if im 23 now!

Good Luck, if it needs doing then they are the professionals, they wouldnt do something that was risky!!

 

[rhian85]

a friend of ours has a 3 month old baby boy who had to have a camera pu up his willy to see what was causing a blockage in his kidney...obviously he had to be under anathsetic for this. it was done in Alder hay hospital and the consultant told his parents that it is safer to put a baby under a general then it is to put an adult under

 

[MummyJess]

My middle daughter was 15 months, so not a young baby when she had her first operation. But she does have them very frequently at Great Ormond Street Hospital. They have been as far apart as every 3 months but at the moment they are every 6 weeks, which is tough. She has had 14 (I think) in total and is now 3 1/2.

It is very very hard watching your child go under a general, my OH and I have both frequently been in tears so I don't want to make out like it's not difficult. But we always have to remember that the doctors and anaethestists really know what they are doing and will look after them. She has never had any major effects from an anaesthetic and is usually running around the ward within a few hours. Kids recover from operations so much better than an adult does.

I know tongue tie cutting is fairly routine. Could your HV maybe put you in touch with a family who has been through it where you live?

Really hope all goes well for you.

 

[MummyJess]

Just realised I didn't actually answer your last question. If it were my baby I would have the operation. He will benefit from it now with the feeding and later with his speech. The actual anaesthetic will not harm him. The operation will be short and although I am sure it will be emotional for you I doubt you will regret your decision

 

[Jen23]

My baby has had 3 operations, for the first of which he was only 4 days old and weighed less than 1lb 10oz. I know it's a bit different as his operations were to save his life but if a baby that small can cope ok with an anaesthetic your little one will be just fine. I Know it will be scary but it will be very quick and you may regret it if you leave it and he has problems talking. its probably easier to do on a baby than an older child as they have no idea what is happening and won't be scared. It's your choice though, you could just see how he goes and get it done later if necessary?

 

[Hazel]

It will probably be a very quick operation

 

[fran_23]

Hayden needed an operation and they decided as it wasn't urgent they would do it when he was a year old as they dont like putting very young babies under general unless its life or death, he had it when he was 11 months and he didnt come out of it too well at all he was screaming blue murder for an hour.

 

[kellysomer]

Can i just ask why the GA, Isla had a severe tongue tie cut and had it done with no anesthetic. The part of the skin that they cut has no nerve ending until they are a year old? She was placed on my knee at the birth centre, 'snip' and it was done, one little drop of blood and a little cry and she was fine and latched straight back on my boob.

The procedure is so simple, it takes about 1 minute from start to finish? I am assuming there are some other complications too? I wouldnt hesitate to get it done, babies go under a GA all the time, and for the sake of a little op could save so much trouble in later life with speech problems and associated bullying, IMO you are doing the right thing.

 

[Mildly]

Thanks for your replies and experiences. Other than the answer hospital policy, we got no other reason as to why a general is required. I was under the impression that there are no nerve endings and that it was a simple procedure for researching tongue tie. As far as I know there are no other complications, in fact the tie is quite thin although it does reach right to the tip of the tongue. He has no other health problems that we know of. We are very concerned with his speech especially as if you try and say 'Oscar' without moving your tongue to the roof of your mouth, it comes out with a lisp. I don't think it is particularly fair that he might get laughed at every time he says he own name (I know it might not cause speech problems but the thought of him possibly being bullied because of it breaks my heart).

kellysomer, may I ask how old Isla was when she had hers released?

 

[Sherlock]

IIRC hospitals often use generals over locals with small children because of the stress factor and also that a small child may not hold still for the time needed. Its often easier for everyone if the child is out totally for 15 minutes and comes round and its all done.

 

[kellysomer]

Sorry Sherlock but i completely disagree! In my experience Isla suffered no stress as she had no idea what was coming and didnt care when it was done, this procedure takes a minute most to do, its one little snip with scissors. Completely over the top for a baby to be put under GA for this to be done, its one tiny snip. Most you get is one drop of blood. Isla would have been far more stressed from GA than one little snip. The area has no nerve endings until they are much older and she was 8 days old when she had it done.

 

[fran_23]

Hayden came out of anesthetic very badly when they had him put out for 15 mins to look up his nose and he was 2...he went hysterical for an hour and wanted to get out of the bed and run away it took so long to calm him down and he was still grump and upset for hours after, the nurses just shrugged and said that is normal..so if they can do something without putting them under i think they should, anesthetic can make the whole thing far more distressing than it needs to be imo! And when he had his op when he was 11 months he was the same, he screamed like he was in complete agony it broke my heart so bad i had to leave the room and leave him with his dad.

 

[Sherlock]

Sorry Sherlock but i completely disagree! In my experience Isla suffered no stress as she had no idea what was coming and didnt care when it was done, this procedure takes a minute most to do, its one little snip with scissors. Completely over the top for a baby to be put under GA for this to be done, its one tiny snip. Most you get is one drop of blood. Isla would have been far more stressed from GA than one little snip. The area has no nerve endings until they are much older and she was 8 days old when she had it done.

Disagree all you like I was simply explaining why hospitals tend to give children general rather than local. Not as to a specific individual case

8 days old was young, which was good. I've known other children a bit older (up to toddler age) have procedures done that in an adult require a local but for a child a general is given. Often once a child is a bit older, more aware and so on some procedures can be more tricky. If its hospital policy a parent can discuss with the Doctors and go from there.

 

[Magic Monkey]

I would ask for a better explanation of why they need to use a GA is I was you, I agree with Kelly I can't see why they need to. My friend's LO had it done and she said they took him out of the room and it was done in seconds, he didn't even cry. Plus round here the midwives do it at the birth centre - you don't even go to hospital.

If it is hospital policy, could you ask to go somewhere else where they have a different policy?

 

[kellysomer]

Fair point Sherlock, i am not looking for an arguement. I just wanted to say what happened in my own case. Isn't it amazing how much simple procedures differ in different parts of the country!?

Oh and Magic monkey we do the same here to, one little snip at the birth centre by a midwife who was specially trained. No appointment even needed! Minimal fuss and stress for the babes.

Perhaps its worth just asking them if they would do it without the GA? Best to do what makes you most comfortable. Its definatly worth doing though, saves a lot of trouble later on if it will affect their speech.

 

[Mildly]

Thanks for all the replies

Still waiting to hear back from the hospital but we definitely want a better explanation of why it can't be done under a local.

 

[sazzylou]

In my experience Isla suffered no stress as she had no idea what was coming and didnt care when it was done, this procedure takes a minute most to do, its one little snip with scissors. Completely over the top for a baby to be put under GA for this to be done, its one tiny snip. Most you get is one drop of blood. Isla would have been far more stressed from GA than one little snip. The area has no nerve endings until they are much older and she was 8 days old when she had it done.

Izzie had a severe tongue tie and she had hers done at about 3 weeks old. They just took her into a little room. A nurse held her head still while the doctor cut it and it was all over in about 2 minutes! She scremed but not because of the pain, just because she didnt like the nurse holding her and the doc poking around at her mouth!!

She was fine minutes later

Thanks for all the replies

Still waiting to hear back from the hospital but we definitely want a better explanation of why it can't be done under a local.

Let us know, im really interested to know why they need a GA to do it. Must be a reason though eh?

Good luck with it all anyway hun! xxxxx

 

[Mildly]

Thank you And thanks for letting us know your experience