neonatal

[nee-oh-neyt-l]

adjective

1. of or relating to newborn children.

neonatal

/ ˌniːəʊˈneɪtəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to newborn children, esp in the first week of life and up to four weeks old

Other Word Forms

• neonatally adverb
• postneonatal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of neonatal¹

First recorded in 1900–05; neo- + natal

Example Sentences

A father who murdered his two-week-old baby son on a neonatal ward has been jailed for life.

From BBC

The report revealed that neonatal deaths and stillbirths across the Black Country have been rising since 2020, with stillbirths rising at a more significant rate.

From BBC

Her baby then needed to spend time in neonatal intensive care.

From BBC

The baby is being treated in the neonatal intensive care unit of the government-run medical college and hospital there.

From BBC

Then on Friday, a report found that NHS trusts rated over half their maternity and neonatal buildings as being unsatisfactory, with 7% saying they ran a serious risk of imminent breakdown.

From BBC

When To Use

What does neonatal mean?

Neonatal is an adjective used to describe things related to newborn babies and their care.Neonatal is a technical term used in the context of medicine and healthcare. You’re most likely to see it used in terms like neonatal unit, neonatal care, and neonatal nurse, and in the names of certain medical conditions that affect newborns. Its noun form, neonate, is another word for a newborn.Example: My sister is a neonatal nurse who specializes in caring for newborns with certain health problems.