Is it safe to give sedatives to children?

Q: Our 3-month-old daughter has been asked to undergo a BERA test, since she had neonatal jaundice at birth. I believe this test has to be done only after sedating the baby. Being a mother, I am concerned and anxious at the use of sedatives for such a small child. Could the sedative possibly have any side effect afterwards? Is there any other way to perform a similar test?

A:There are fairly safe sedatives available for children. In appropriate doses, these sedatives do not cause any long term worries.