Both hyper- and hypobaric solutions of bupivacaine are often combined with morphine to provide subarachnoid anesthesia for cesarean section. Differences in the baricity of subarachnoid solutions influence the intrathecal distribution of anesthetic drugs and would be expected to influence measurable clinical variables. We compared the effects of hyper- and hypobaric subarachnoid bupivacaine with morphine to determine whether one has significant advantages with regard to intraoperative anesthesia and postoperative analgesia in term parturients undergoing elective cesarean section. Thirty parturients were randomized to receive either hyper- or hypobaric bupivacaine (15 mg) with morphine sulfate (0.2 mg). Intraoperative outcomes compared included extent of sensory block, quality of anesthesia, and side effects. Postoperative outcomes, including pain visual analog scale scores, systemic analgesic requirements, and side effects, were monitored for 48 h. Sedation effects were quantified and compared using Trieger and digit-symbol substitution tests. We detected no differences in sensory or motor block, quality of anesthesia, quality of postoperative analgesia, incidence of side effects, or psychometric scores. Both preparations provide highly satisfactory anesthesia for cesarean section and effective postoperative analgesia. CONCLUSIONS Dextrose alters the density of intrathecal bupivacaine solutions and is thought to influence subarachnoid distribution of the drug. We randomized parturients undergoing cesarean section to one of two often used spinal bupivacaine preparations, hypobaric and hyperbaric. We detected no differences in clinical outcomes between groups.