neonatal

Neonatal refers to the period immediately following birth, typically defined as the first 28 days of life. The term is used in medicine to describe the health and development of newborns and to designate the subspecialty of neonatology, which focuses on the medical care of ill or premature newborns.

Newborn physiology involves rapid adaptation to extrauterine life. Most term infants establish breathing and circulatory function promptly, while preterm infants may require respiratory support and closer monitoring. Fetal circulatory shunts close as the lungs fill with air and the circulation reorganizes; feeding, temperature control, and metabolic stability are key early goals.

Common neonatal conditions include physiologic jaundice, respiratory distress syndrome due to surfactant deficiency in preterm infants, neonatal infections such as sepsis, and congenital anomalies detected at birth or through screening. Other issues include hypoglycemia, apnea, and retinopathy of prematurity in very preterm infants.

Care is provided in well‑nurseries for healthy newborns and neonatal intensive care units for high‑risk infants. Interventions may include resuscitation at birth, supplemental oxygen or ventilation, intravenous fluids and nutrition, and continuous monitoring. Routine newborn assessments include APGAR scoring, newborn metabolic and genetic screening, hearing screening, and planning for follow‑up and immunizations.

Outcomes depend on gestational age, birth weight, and access to timely medical care. Most healthy term neonates recover with minimal intervention, but ill or preterm infants require specialized care and longer follow‑up. Improving prenatal care, infection control, and neonatal services are central to reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide.