Perinatology

The branch of medicine dealing with the FETUS and NEWBORN during the perinatal period. The perinatal period begins with the twenty-eighth week of gestation and ends twenty-eight days after birth. This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.

Yes. Perinatology is also referred to as Materno-Fetal Medicine, Materno Fetal Medicine, Materno-Fetal Medicines, Medicine, Materno-Fetal in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.

Perinatology falls under the broader medical category "Disciplines and Occupations" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: H02.403.670.500). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.

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