adjective
MedicineOccurring not long before childbirth.
‘The biophysical profile integrates several observations of fetal status into an assessment tool that usually is used during the antepartum period to guide clinical management.’- ‘Procedures that increase the likelihood of direct fetal exposure to maternal blood should be minimized during the antepartum and intrapartum periods.’
- ‘The safety and effectiveness of antiretroviral agents in the antepartum period and during labor is an area of active research, and recommendations are continually being updated and modified.’
- ‘Recent reports suggest that bright light therapy has an antidepressant effect on patients with antepartum depression.’
- ‘There are published data indicating that approximately two-thirds of high risk newborns can be anticipated by careful antepartum evaluation.’
Origin
Mid 19th century from Latin, ‘before birth’.
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