How to Pronounce Perinatal Infection
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Perinatal Infection Pronunciation
per-ih-NAY-tal in-FEK-shun
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
per
ih
NAY
stress here
tal in
FEK
stress here
shun
6 syllables
What is Perinatal Infection?
An infection that occurs during the period around birth (from late pregnancy through the first weeks of life), including infections acquired transplacentally (through the placenta), during passage through the birth canal, or after birth through breastfeeding or environmental exposure. Common perinatal infections include Group B Streptococcus, herpes simplex, and HIV.
Questions About Perinatal Infection
How do you pronounce 'perinatal infection'?
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Say it like this: "per-ih-NAY-tal in-FEK-shun." The stress (the louder part) falls on the second word, where you emphasize "NAY" in perinatal and "FEK" in infection. The first part rhymes with "ferry," and the second part sounds like "nay" as in "yes or nay."
What are the syllables in 'perinatal'?
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Break it into five syllables: per-i-NAY-tal. Each syllable gets its own beat, but only the third syllable (NAY) is spoken louder than the others.
What does the prefix 'peri-' mean?
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The prefix "peri-" comes from Greek and means "around" or "near." In perinatal, it refers to the time period around birth—both before and after the baby is born.
What does 'natal' mean in 'perinatal'?
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The word "natal" comes from the Latin word "natalis," which means "related to birth." So when you put "peri-" and "natal" together, perinatal means "around the time of birth."
What's a common mispronunciation of 'perinatal'?
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Many people stress the wrong syllable and say "PAIR-ih-nay-tal" instead of "per-ih-NAY-tal." Remember: the stress belongs on the third syllable, the "NAY" part, not on the first syllable.
What does 'perinatal infection' mean in plain English?
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It means an infection that happens around the time a baby is born—either late in pregnancy, during birth, or in the first few weeks of life. It's a general term that describes when and how the infection started, not what kind it is.
What other medical words share the 'natal' root?
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Words like "prenatal" (before birth), "postnatal" (after birth), and "neonatal" (relating to newborns) all share the "natal" root. They all have to do with birth and the time around it.
How would you use 'perinatal infection' in a sentence?
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You might hear: "The pediatrician discussed perinatal infections during the prenatal class to help parents understand what to watch for." It's a way to group together infections that happen during that special window around birth.