382 newborn infants studied were divided into three groups. 128 infants were delivered under acupuncture anesthesia and 125 infants under general anesthesia. They were compared with a group of 129 infants delivered under local anesthesia as a control. The neurobehavioral examination involved an assessment of various reflexes

muscle tone and power

heart rate

respiration and colour of skin. These items were scored according to Apgar and the data were evaluated to ridit analysis. It showed that infants delivered under acupuncture ane- sthesia were free from the depression of the neonatal neurobehaviar were Acupuncture anesthesia can be used locally as local anesthesia in obstetric operations. In general anesthesia group

the neonatal scares were less than those of both local and acupuncture anesthesia groups

there was signifi- cant differences as compared with the above two groups.