Perinataalse

Perinataalse is the adjectival form used in Dutch to describe matters relating to the perinatal period, the time surrounding birth. The English equivalent is perinatal. The term is used in medicine, epidemiology, and public health to refer to events, health status, and outcomes that occur around the time of birth, spanning late pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the early neonatal period.

Definitions of the perinatal period vary. Many guidelines place the window from late gestation, commonly around 22 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, through the first week after birth; some definitions extend to 28 days after birth. Perinatal outcomes often focus on mortality and morbidity occurring within this window, including stillbirths and early neonatal deaths. Perinatal morbidity may include complications such as preterm birth, low birthweight, birth asphyxia, and congenital anomalies identified around birth.

Perinatal health is a key focus in maternal and child health. It encompasses prenatal care, intrapartum management, delivery planning, and newborn care, including resuscitation and early stabilization. Public health monitoring uses perinatal indicators such as perinatal mortality rate, stillbirth rate, early neonatal mortality, and rates of preterm birth and low birthweight to assess care quality and guide interventions.

In research and policy, the perinatal lens emphasizes the continuum of care from pregnancy through the first days or weeks of life. Efforts to improve perinatal outcomes include improving maternal health, infection prevention, nutrition, access to skilled birth attendants, and neonatal intensive care when needed.