Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of newborn mortality and childhood disability. Despite hypothermia treatment being the current standard method, it has its limitations and often produces unsatisfactory outcomes. Additionally, due to time and equipment constraints, hypothermia treatment cannot be promptly administered, leading to high mortality rates or varying levels of neurological impairments even after treatment. Hence, the exploration of alternative and effective treatment methods for HIE has become a challenging and highly researched topic in the field of neonatology.Research has shown that HIE induces intricate changes in the neurological system at the physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. Circular RNA (circRNA) exhibits high expression in the central nervous system and plays a role in regulating physiological and pathophysiological processes. Therefore, circRNA holds promise as a potential therapeutic target for HIE. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the regulatory effects of circRNA on different types of neural cells in HIE, aiming to offer new theoretical foundations for the treatment of HIE.