Background　Studies confirmed that a variety of commonly used clinical general anesthetics induced apoptosis of nerve cells in infant animal's brain and caused cognitive and behavioral ability impairment in the later through many ways in varying degrees.　Objective　To sum up effects of commonly used clinical general anesthetics on nerve cell apoptosis in infant animal's brain of recent researches, and provide a reference for the use of narcotic drugs.　Content　General anesthetics induced infant animal's brain nerve cell apoptosis of mechanisms is very complex, the apoptosis mechanism of research is still in its infancy stage.　Trend　More clinical practice studies are needed to reveal mechanisms of general anesthetics induced infant animal's brain nerve cell apoptosis.