Background　A great deal of laboratory work has confirmed that general anesthetics kill neurons in the developing brains of animals， and cause permanent and progressive neurocognitive dysfunction. And claims high attention to the safety of anesthesia in human neonates and infants.　Objective　This review gives an overview of the mechanisms of anesthesia?蛳induced cognitive dysfunction， possible prevention/treatment options， early results of comparative animal studies of anesthetic neurotoxicity， and discusses of the recent clinical evidence.　Content　The animal studies have disputed evidence for three cellular phenomena to qualify as a mediating mechanism of anesthesia?蛳induced cognitive dysfunction: neuroapoptosis， synaptic plasticiy and hippocampal neurogenesis. Based on them， the animal models have addressed the early issues in possible prevention/treatment options and comparative anesthetic neurotoxicity. The significance of developmental anesthetic neurotoxicity for human pediatric anesthesia is not emerging because of limitations with clinical settings.　Trend　The Food and Drug Administration advisory committee meeting conclude that no change in clinical practice is justified based on available data. More research is needed to deepen knowledge of developmental anesthetic neurotoxicity.