Spinal Anesthesia for Babies & Toddlers

When your child needs surgery, it is natural to worry about their comfort and safety. At Lurie Children’s, we are committed to using the safest and most gentle anesthesia options available. For certain procedures, spinal anesthesia (also called a single shot spinal block) may be recommended. Our pediatric anesthesiology team has extensive experience providing this technique for infants and young children.

Spinal anesthesia is a type of regional anesthesia used during surgery. It temporarily blocks all pain, feeling and movement in the lower half of your baby’s body. Unlike general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia does not make your baby fully unconscious and does not require a breathing device.  

Instead, a very small amount of medicine is carefully injected into the lower back. This medicine prevents pain signals from traveling to your baby’s brain, so they cannot feel anything happening below the belly button for a short period of time. The numbing effect typically lasts one to two hours. 

Compared to general anesthesia, babies who receive a spinal block often recover more quickly and feel better after their procedure. Because they continue to breathe on their own, they avoid the need for a breathing tube. Spinal anesthesia also reduces or avoids the use of certain medications, such as opioids, which can have side effects. Additionally, procedures performed under spinal anesthesia are often shorter, allowing parents and caregivers to reunite with their child sooner. 

Before surgery, numbing cream is placed on your baby’s lower back so they do not feel the injection. 

Because it is important for babies to remain still and comfortable, we may give a calming medicine gently sprayed into the nose to help them relax.  

If needed, a small amount of “laughing gas” may also be given through a mask for a few minutes to keep your baby calm and comfortable. 

In the operating room, a very thin needle is gently inserted into the lower back (in the area where the numbing cream was applied) to deliver the anesthetic medication. This intensively numbs the lower half of your baby’s body for one to two hours. After the spinal block has taken effect, an IV is placed, usually in the foot. 

Your child is closely monitored at all times during surgery. They continue to breathe on their own and do not require a breathing device. Most babies fall asleep naturally after the spinal block because they are relaxed and comfortable. In the rare event that a baby wakes up, the anesthesia team helps them stay calm or fall back asleep. 

After surgery, your baby is reunited with you either immediately or after a short stay in the recovery room.  

As the anesthesia wears off, your baby will slowly begin to move their legs. They may be sleepy and need some additional pain medicine during this time.  

Most babies are able to eat as soon as they wake up, but very young babies may need to be monitored for a longer period of time. Patients are typically ready to go home once they begin moving their legs again.