Stuttering as a complication of strabismus surgery.

Children may experience extremely high levels of psychological stress in the operating suite because of anxiety associated with the separation from their parents, the unfamiliar and intimidating environment, the presence of strangers in unusual attire (masks, caps, gowns), the act of being forcibly restrained, and the forceful pressing over the mouth and nose of an anesthetic mask which emits a foul-smelling gas and which seems to restrict breathing in a manner reminiscent of suffocation. High levels of anxiety can lead to regression in a child's mental development, including stuttering, which is a regression to an earlier speech pattern and failure to develop fluent speech. Two cases are reported in which children developed stuttering following inappropriate or abusive treatment by the anesthesia departments of the hospitals in which they had surgery for strabismus. Both patients were four-year-old boys.