neonatal

of, relating to, or affecting a newborn animal. For human infants the neonatal period is considered to be the first month after birth.

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Pertaining to the period immediately after birth; the duration varies between species; in humans refers to the first four weeks of life; in animals the first week seems appropriate. Some neonatal disorders are listed in entries below. Others are listed elsewhere under titles specific to their anatomic location, including hyaline membrane disease, respiratory distress syndrome.

• n. cardiac murmur — is observed in foals and most disappear before the fifth day. Persistence after that time may suggest valvular dysfunction. Many congenital murmurs are functional and cause no signs of disease.
• n. diarrhea — see undifferentiated diarrhea of the newborn.
• n. distress — see neonatal maladjustment syndrome (below).
• n. edema — usually caused by obstruction to lymphatic flow by defective development of lymph drainage system.
• n. hyaline membrane disease — see hyaline membrane disease.
• n. hyperbilirubinemia — see neonatal jaundice (below).
• n. hypoglycemia — a metabolic disease of newborn piglets caused by restriction of food intake. Clinical signs include weakness, shivering, hypothermia and terminal convulsions.
• n. isoerythrolysis — see alloimmune hemolytic anemia of the newborn.
• n. isoimmune purpura — see neonatal thrombocytopenic purpura (below).
• n. jaundice — is an important clinical sign in foals because of the possibility of alloimmune hemolytic anemia. Some cases of benign, physiological jaundice also occur in foals. There is jaundice but no other clinical or pathological abnormality. Called also neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
• n. maladjustment syndrome — a disease of newborn thoroughbred foals caused by premature severance of the umbilical cord in assisted foalings and by hypoxia due to other causes. The foals may be normal for some hours after birth. Clinical signs include aimless wandering, apparent blindness, and convulsions including a sound like a dog barking. Called also barkers and wanderers.
• n. mortality — death in the neonatal group.
• n. neoplasm — occurs rarely. Lymphosarcoma, benign and malignant melanoma and myeloid leukosis are recorded. Sporadic bovine leukosis, manifested by many subcutaneous tumors, is the most common form of the disease.
• n. ophthalmia — see ophthalmia neonatorum.
• n. septicemia — many bacteria, which are not widely invasive in older animals, can cause septicemia in neonates because of their immunological immaturity; common examples are Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., streptococci, e.g. S. suis.
• n. spasticity — an inherited disease of calves which are normal at birth but soon develop a susceptibility to tetanic convulsions when stimulated. See also neuraxial edema.
• n. streptococcal infection — occurs in all species, but is especially important in piglets and foals. Bacteremia and septicemia may result in the animal's death or the development of arthritis, endocarditis, meningitis or ophthalmitis. Causative bacteria are: foals—Streptococcus zooepidemicus (S. pyogenes equi); piglets—S. suis types 1 and 2, S. equisimilis; calves—S. pyogenes; lambs—S. faecalis and group C streptococci.
• n. thrombocytopenic purpura — a severe bleeding disease in piglets a few days old which have drunk colostrum containing antiplatelet antibody from their alloimmune dam.
• n. vigor — amount of physical activity displayed by the newborn animal; an indication of the potential viability of the patient.

adj

Pertaining to a newborn child.

For a list of words related to neonatal, see:

• Infancy - neonatal: (adj) relating to infant in first month of life

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See words rhyming with "neonatal."