Early life is a highly sensitive period in the development of human and rodent brains. Early life stress（ ELS） can take part in the development of neurons in the brain， and affect the cognitive level of adult. This review discusses the effects of ELS on the cognitive function of adults and its possible mechanism. A large number of studies indicate that the effects of ELS on the cognitive function of individual adults is probably through regulating DNA methylation， activating the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal（ HPA） axis， changing the expression of neurotrophic factors， altering the structure and function of brain regions， etc. At the same time， ELS can also cause anxiety- and depression-like mental performance in adulthood， which also leads to impaired cognitive function.