Paediatric anaesthesia
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The definition of childhood obesity has not been standardized in the past, making studies difficult to compare. In spite of this, the increase in the incidence of childhood obesity is evident and has now reached epidemic proportions. Obese children experience few of the medical complications seen in obese adults. ⋯ There is less pathology in the obese child when compared with the adult but some evidence shows a higher likelihood of a critical incident occurring when anaesthetizing such children. This shows that we need to be as worried about anaesthetizing the obese child as we are for the obese adult. This concern should increase with increasing body mass index.