Title

Neuraxial anesthesia versus general anesthesia for cesarean delivery: Maternal and neonatal outcomes

Authors

Pratibha Rathore¹, Bhawna Kansal², Romesh Sharma³, Sona Joseph⁴, Gourab Biswas^5,* & Ishika Chakarvarti⁶

Affiliation

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Medical Sciences And Research, Raipur Chhattisgarh, India; ²Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NCR IMS Nalpur Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India; ³Department of Anaesthesiology, Sri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India; ⁴Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India; ⁵Department of Orthopaedics, Max Superspeciality Hospital, Delhi NCR, India; ⁶Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India; *Corresponding author

Email

Pratibha Rathore - E-mail: pratibha080524@gmail.com
Bhawna Kansal - E-mail: bhawnakansal73@gmail.com
Romesh Sharma - E-mail: doctor_romesh@rediffmail.com
Sona Joseph - E-mail: sonaaa1510@gmail.com
Gourab Biswas - E-mail: gourabbiswas2013@gmail.com
Ishika Chakarvarti - E-mail: ishu.chakarvarti@gmail.com

Article Type

Review

Date

Received February 1, 2026; Revised February 28, 2026; Accepted February 28, 2026, Published February 28, 2026

Abstract

Cesarean delivery is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures worldwide, and uncertainty persists regarding the optimal anesthetic technique to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence comparing neuraxial and general anesthesia for cesarean delivery using data from major biomedical databases. Available evidence indicates that neuraxial anesthesia is associated with lower maternal morbidity, fewer anesthesia-related complications, and generally more favorable neonatal outcomes, including higher Apgar scores and reduced need for resuscitation or NICU admission. General anesthesia, although essential in specific emergency situations or when neuraxial techniques are contraindicated, is linked to increased maternal risks and certain neonatal respiratory complications. Overall, neuraxial anesthesia remains the preferred technique for most cesarean deliveries, while further prospective studies with standardized long-term outcomes are required to optimize anesthetic decision-making.

Keywords

Cesarean delivery, neuraxial anesthesia, general anesthesia, maternal outcomes, neonatal outcomes, Apgar score, NICU admission, obstetric anesthesia.

Citation

Rathore et al. Bioinformation 22(2): 1131-1136 (2026)

Edited by

Rashmi Laddha

ISSN

0973-2063

Publisher

Biomedical Informatics

License

This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.