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

The charity says complications from prematurity remain the leading cause of neonatal death and lifelong disability.

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The final report from the public inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to harm and murder babies at a neonatal unit has been further delayed.

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He said it was a priority in the trust's maternity and neonatal improvement plans.

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Our second child is in the neonatal intensive care unit.

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The Scottish government say "significant progress" has been made in the last 20 years in reducing infant mortality and neonatal deaths, while a new programme of maternity unit inspections is helping to raise standards.

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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.