Background：The safety and effectiveness character of inhalational anesthetics made them extensively used in clinical anesthesia. However, recent studies have indicated that different degrees of neurotoxicity were caused by inhalational anesthetics, especially when used in the peak period of the development of the brain system. Objective：To discuss the neurotoxicity and potential mechanisms of inhalational anesthetics to young animals and young children. Content：The neurotoxicity of inhalational anesthetics may cause the impairment of the function in the talent of learning and memory for young animals, also to the neural system of children to lead to cognitive behavioral disorders. While, the potential mechanisms might be multi-approach, including the influence of receptors, changes in synaptic plasticity, inflammatory reaction of the brain and changes of related substance in the brain. Trend：A thorough understanding to the neurotoxicity of the inhalational anesthetics can not only provide direction for the selection of medicines during pediatric surgical anesthesia, but also offer new ideas for clinical procedures via the mechanism investigation.