Mayo Clinic researchers found that two or more surgeries requiring anesthesia in kids under the age of 3 more than doubled the risk for developing ADHD. Among 341 cases of ADHD who did not have two or more surgeries the risk for developing ADHD was 7.3%, but for those with two or more exposures, the risk increased to 17.9%.
Alternatives to drug induced anesthesia such as acupuncture and guided imagery are discussed.