| Abstract [eng] |
The neonatal period is a uniquely sensitive window of human development in which growth, physiology, and early-life environments intersect to shape survival and longer-term health. Biological anthropology contributes to neonatal growth research by integrating population variation, life-history theory, developmental plasticity, and the social and ecological contexts in which reproduction and early care occur. This review outlines how measurement choices and analytic approaches shape our understanding of neonatal growth and development across biological and social dimensions. This review summarises key indicators, compares the strengths and limitations of growth standards versus population references, and describes how birth registries and longitudinal cohorts address complementary questions. Transitions between biological, clinical, and contextual perspectives are highlighted to demonstrate how data and theory inform one another. It then reviews the determinants of neonatal size and early growth trajectories across maternal, placental, fetal, and socioecological levels, noting how inequality and healthcare context can influence risk and resilience. Special attention is given to infants born preterm and to size-for-gestational-age classification, where timing, proportionality, and postnatal adaptation complicate interpretation of single measurements and motivate trajectory-based approaches. Finally, we consider the application of neonatal growth assessment to clinical and public health practice, stressing transparency, local validation, and equity-aware interpretation. Together, these perspectives present a coherent view of neonatal growth as a complex and multifaceted biological and social process that can inform both research and care. |
