【Abstract】Background Currently, dexmedetomidine is mainly used for adjuvant drug of general anesthesia, sedation at preoperative and analgesia in post-operation， whereas its application in obstetrics is off-label. Objective This review aims to present and discuss the obstetric-related pharmacological properties and advances in obstetric anesthesia. Content Dexmedetomidine can strengthen the contraction of uterine smooth muscle, and the placenta through rate is low; dexmedetomidine has cerebral protective effect in perioperation.Furthermore, dexmedetomidine could not increase the risk of reflux and aspiration of maternal.At present, the reported obstetric anesthesia application of dexmedetomidine are individual cases, and dexmedetomidine was only used in some patients with severe cardiovascular disease or have a contraindication of intraspinal anesthesia maternal. Dexmedetomidine can be used for maternal bronchoscopy awake intubation, general anesthesia induction, analgesia and prevent postanesthetic shivering, furthermore,the impact of dexmedetomidine on the newborn is slight. 　Trend　 Dexmedetomidine has stable hemodynamics, mild respiratory depression and arousal sedation effects,and analgesic effects , so that its application prospects in obstetric anesthesia is very broad. Due to the lack of large sample studies of dexmedetomidine used in human, application of dexmedetomidine in obstetric anesthesia should be careful at present.