SmartTots (Strategies for Mitigating Anesthesia-Related neuroToxicity in Tots) Public-Private Partnership

Millions of children receive anesthetic and sedation drugs each year for surgical and non-surgical procedures. Over the past two decades, an expanding body of data from animal studies have demonstrated that exposure of the developing brain to anesthetic and sedation agents is associated with neurodegeneration and long-term, likely permanent, deficits in cognitive function and behavior. Under the Critical Path Initiative, SmartTots Public-Private Partnership (PPP) was established to address the critical public health issues associated with the safe use of anesthetic agents and sedatives in young children. The objective of this cooperative agreement is to continue bridging the knowledge gaps, elucidating the risks related to the use of anesthetic and sedative agents in children, and developing strategies for optimizing brain health in children who require anesthesia and sedation care.