perinatal

American  

[per-uh-neyt-l] / ˌpɛr əˈneɪt l /

adjective

1. occurring during or pertaining to the phase surrounding the time of birth, from the twentieth week of gestation to the twenty-eighth day of newborn life.

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perinatal British  

/ ˌpɛrɪˈneɪtəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring in the period from about three months before to one month after birth

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Other Word Forms

• perinatally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of perinatal

First recorded in 1950–55; peri- + natal

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perinatal

“Every perinatal mental-health disorder is temporary and treatable, no matter what the symptoms,” Wendy Davis, the president and CEO of Postpartum Support International, told me.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

There are excellent passages in the book on synced hormones and perinatal conditions, as when fathers experience labor pains, “an extreme example of what researchers have dubbed couvade syndrome.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

At 32, I started battling unrelenting headaches—clearly perinatal symptoms and sleep deprivation, I was assured by doctors as a new mom.

From Slate ● May 6, 2026

In total, the study found there had been 33,943 perinatal deaths in England between 2013 and 2022.

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026

“I knew it was something that I wanted to do,” said Little, a perinatal health researcher and science communications consultant who has studied cultures around the world that bed-share.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025