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

At the rally on Monday, Jennifer Lynch, a neonatal nurse practitioner who has worked at New York Presbyterian Hospital for 18 years, said her employer laid off 15 of her colleagues in 2025. —Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026

When emergencies result in a premature birth or a baby with medical complications, immediate access to advanced neonatal care is critical. —Memorialcare Medical Group, Oc Register, 10 Jan. 2026

The baby girl, named Eden, is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit. —Bracey Harris, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026

Rapper Snoop Dogg’s daughter, Cori Broadus, has finally welcomed her new baby home, after the infant spent 10 months in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit following her birth at 25 weeks. —Theresa Braine, Mercury News, 8 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