Anesthetic Implications of Common Congenital Anomalies.

The most common congenital anomalies are congenital heart defects, cleft lip and palate, Down syndrome, and neural tube defects. Anesthetic considerations for Down syndrome include cervical spine instability, history of congenital heart disease, risk of bradycardia, hematologic, endocrine, and behavioral considerations. Patients with cleft lip and palate can have associated syndromes, and the potential for underlying abnormalities should be investigated prior to their anesthetic. A major anesthetic consideration for neural tube defect surgery is positioning for intubation. Fetal surgery for myelomeningocele has been shown to reduce the need for ventriculoperitoneal shunting and improved motor outcomes.