MINI REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1710759
Pain and Anesthesia —— on fetal nervous system and brain development
Provisionally accepted
- 1Inner Mongolia Medical College, Hohhot, China
- 2Baotou Central Hospital, Baotou, China
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Does using narcotics for labor pain relief or undergoing general anesthesia during pregnancy affect fetal neurodevelopment? This is a critical concern for expectant mothers, families, and clinicians alike. While surgical interventions are typically performed during the second trimester—a critical phase for fetal central nervous system development—current research indicates that general anesthesia administered during this period may adversely impact the fetal CNS. How should we balance these risks? This review examines the latest studies on anesthesia's effects on fetal neurodevelopment, exploring relevant mechanisms and characteristics. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding and propose protective measures to ensure healthy fetal development while maintaining anesthesia safety throughout the entire pregnancy.
Keywords: Anethesia, nerve, Brain, fetal, management of anesthesia during pregnancy
Received: 24 Sep 2025; Accepted: 10 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Bao and Bai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: GanZhu Bao, 1627613908@qq.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.