Spinal anesthesia in infants

Spinal anesthesia, although uncommonly performed in infants and children, may have a role in the premature infant predisposed to postoperative apnea and bradycardia. The duration of surgical anesthesia is often limited, which leads to the necessity of adjuvant anesthetics. This article will describe the anatomy and physiology of the subarachnoid space of infants and children as well as discuss the technique of performing a subarachnoid block in this population. Judicious dosing and use of local anesthetics and potential adverse effects of this technique are discussed.