Central Neuraxial Blocks as Surgical Anesthesia in Infants: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Perioperative care of neonates/infants is a great challenge for anesthesiologists, regardless of the type of anesthesia chosen. Furthermore, providing regional anesthesia techniques as “surgical anesthesia" in this population is even more difficult. In this review, the merits and demerits of all available techniques of central neuraxial blocks (CNBs) are discussed in detail, and their recent advances are discussed. The “research gaps” on this topic are also highlighted. The author hopes it would be a valuable addition to the literature and lead to further research on this potential topic.