neonatal

adjective

neo·​na·​tal ˌnē-ō-ˈnā-tᵊl 

: of, relating to, or affecting the newborn and especially the human infant during the first month after birth

neonatal mortality

neonatal intensive care unit

neonatally

ˌnē-ō-ˈnā-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

Examples of neonatal in a Sentence

a neonatal intensive care unit

Recent Examples on the Web

Congenital syphilis can cause a range of adverse outcomes including fetal or neonatal death, preterm birth, low birthweight, and brain and nerve disorders. —Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 27 Jan. 2026

Rani’s newborn son weighed almost eight pounds and had perfect neonatal scores. —Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Lauren Ross, a registered nurse with the neonatal intensive care unit at the Kaiser campus, said her colleagues are working 16-hour shifts, compiling 120 hours of work in two weeks. —Pat Maio, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026

With King 27 and a half weeks into her pregnancy, the neonatal specialists felt the baby had a 95% chance of survival without deficits, Imielski said. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin neonatus neonate + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neonatal

• hiatal
• nonfatal
• postnatal
• prenatal
• antenatal
• perinatal
• datal
• fatal

Medical Definition

neonatal

adjective

neo·​na·​tal ˌnē-ō-ˈnāt-ᵊl 

: of, relating to, or affecting the newborn and especially the human infant during the first month after birth

neonatal jaundice

neonatal death

compare prenatal, intranatal, postnatal

neonatally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb