Anesthetic and children? what should a parent do to be prepared for when their child has to get anesthesia? for the parent? for the child?

Talk to doctor : It is great to see this involvement. You are doing a wonderful thing by learning about it. For the surgery ask to meet the anesthesiologist. Most prefer a pediatric anesthesiologist but not everyone. A children's hospital setting may be needed for the operation. Talk about what will occur. Talk about the risks. Bring a family member.

Ask Questions: Talk to your anesthesiologist before the procedure. Do they work on a lot of children, what are they going to do? Most anesthetics on children start with the use of mask delivered anesthesia to put the child to sleep. This is done to place an IV at which point the full anesthetic can begin. If the procedure is to be done outside of the or, we like the parents with us when we start anesthesia.

Inform yourself: Preparing your child for anesthesia involves informing yourself on what to expect for the surgery. If possible, try to speak with your anesthesiologist in advance. He or she will be the best source of information on what to expect. Talk to your child and give him or her an age appropriate amount of information. Follow instructed fasting guidelines, typically no food or drink for 8 hours before.