Word
neonatal
Phoneticsneona·tal
US/ˌnioʊˈneɪtəɫ/
UK/nˈiːəʊnˌeɪtəl/
Definition
adj. relating to a baby during the first few weeks after it is born. Doctors use this word to talk about the care and health of very young infants.
adj. relating to the first twenty-eight days of a human infant's life. Often used in medical contexts to specify care or conditions occurring immediately after birth.
Examples
“The hospital has a specialized neonatal unit.”
“Advances in neonatal medicine have significantly improved the survival rates for babies born several weeks premature.”
“The research team monitored neonatal development over the first month to identify early physiological markers that might predict long-term health outcomes in high-risk infants.”
Examples
simple
“The hospital has a specialized neonatal unit.”
contextual
“Advances in neonatal medicine have significantly improved the survival rates for babies born several weeks premature.”
complex
“The research team monitored neonatal development over the first month to identify early physiological markers that might predict long-term health outcomes in high-risk infants.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun, such as 'care', 'unit', or 'nurse'.
Real-World Examples
“Its neonatal mortality rate stands at 24 deaths per 1,000 live births.” “And the communities where wildfires are responsible for the largest reversals in air quality—low-income, rural and American Indian and Alaska Native populations—often have the least access to neonatal care.” Etymology
From neo- + natal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/neonatal