neonatal

American  

[nee-oh-neyt-l] / ˌni oʊˈneɪt l /

adjective

1. of or relating to newborn children.

---

neonatal British  

/ ˌniːəʊˈneɪtəl /

adjective

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

---

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• neonatally adverb
• postneonatal adjective

Etymology

Origin of neonatal

First recorded in 1900–05; neo- + natal

Example Sentences

The woman was 7 months pregnant with the family’s third child, a girl, who died in a neonatal intensive care unit.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

But as the deaths continued, the neonatal consultants had noticed she was the one person who seemed to be on duty.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

For three months, she spent each day in the neonatal intensive care unit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

That is important for products used in the surgical theater and for neonatal care.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

Months after Lee was arrested and charged with capital murder, six additional pathologists examined the body and unanimously concluded that neonatal pneumonia had killed the child—it was a classic stillbirth with very common features.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson