What does postnatally mean?
Postnatally means after birth or in relation to the period following birth. It is an adverb formed from the adjective postnatal and is especially common in medicine, healthcare, child development, and research. A clinician might say that a newborn was observed postnatally, while a report might describe postnatal follow-up or the postnatal period. The word is more technical than the ordinary phrase “after birth,” but its meaning is direct and well established in both British and American English. It can describe the mother, the infant, or a process or event, provided the relevant timing is after birth. For example, “the child was assessed postnatally” means that the assessment occurred after the birth, not that the child was born after some other event. Postnatally is therefore useful whenever a writer needs to mark a precise developmental or clinical stage without suggesting a broader event such as pregnancy or childbirth itself.
adverbAfter birth; in relation to the period following birth.
- After birth or in relation to the period following birth.
"The infant was assessed postnatally for signs of developmental delay."
"The infant was assessed postnatally for signs of developmental delay."
"The study followed the children postnatally and again at school age."
Postnatally turns the focus from the birth itself to everything that follows—a distinction that matters greatly in medicine and child development.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does postnatally come from?
The word combines the Latin prefix post-, meaning “after,” with natal, meaning “pertaining to birth” or “from birth.” Natal derives from Latin natalis, from natus, “born.” English later formed postnatal and its adverbial form postnatally from this Latin foundation.
Related word forms
How postnatally is actually used
This term is especially common in medical, healthcare, developmental, and research contexts. It is more specialized than the ordinary phrase “after birth,” but it is neutral in connotation and used in both British and American English.
Easily confused with postnatally
Postnatally refers to the period after birth, whereas prenatally refers to the period before birth.