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.

---

perinatal British  

/ ˌpɛrɪˈneɪtəl /

adjective

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

---

Other Word Forms

• perinatally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of perinatal

First recorded in 1950–55; peri- + natal

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perinatal

Lead paediatric and perinatal pathologist Cohen currently handles 85% of the sudden death cases.

From BBC ● May 29, 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

Home births are also associated with higher risk of perinatal death, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 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

Mr Hender said: "I think it's worrying that a report regarding perinatal mortality doesn't seem to be very high on the priority list of the ICB if it's taken 18 months to release from completion."

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025