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

After her second pregnancy, her new baby spent two weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. —Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026

Their conditions landed them in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the earliest days of their sisterhood. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026

Lives were saved and the pit-crew model was widely adopted for pediatric surgery and neonatal resuscitation around the world. —Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

His compassion was on display in the summer of 1999, in the neonatal unit where Ted worked, when two grateful new parents connected him to the job of a lifetime. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin neonatus neonate + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neonatal

• nonfatal
• postnatal
• prenatal
• antenatal
• hiatal
• 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