peri-
(Greek: around, enclosing, surrounding, about, near, close; often used as a prefix)
2. The sheath of connective tissue enveloping bundles of muscle fibers.
The perinatal period is defined in various ways. Depending on the definition, it starts at the 20th to 28th week of gestation and ends one to four weeks after birth.
2. Etymology: The word perinatal is a hybrid of the Greek "peri-" meaning "around or about" and "natal" from the Latin "natus" meaning "born."
A perinatologist logically could be an obstetrician or pediatrician, but in practice, a perinatologist is an obstetrician.
The comparable area of pediatrics is neonatology. A high-risk baby might be cared for by a perinatologist before birth and by a neonatologist after birth.
Since the perinatal period, depending on the definition, starts at the 20th to 28th week of gestation and ends one to four weeks after birth, perinatology logically could be an obstetrical and pediatric subspecialty, but in practice, it is part of obstetrics.
The comparable area of pediatrics is "neonatology". A high-risk baby might be cared for by a "perinatologist" before birth and by a "neonatologist" after birth.
2. Etymology: The word perinatology is a linguistic combination of the Greek peri-, "around" or "about" plus natal from the Latin natus, "born" plus ology from the Greek logos, "treatise" or "study of".