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The “weanling's dilemma” revisited: Evolving bodies of evidence and the problem of infant paleodietary interpretation

The “weanling's dilemma” revisited: Evolving bodies of evidence and the problem of infant... Breastfeeding is known to be a powerful mediator of maternal and childhood health, with impacts throughout the life course. Paleodietary studies of the past 30 years have accordingly taken an enduring interest in the health and diet of young children as a potential indicator of population fertility, subsistence, and mortality patterns. While progress has been made in recent decades toward acknowledging the agency of children, many paleodietary reconstructions have failed to incorporate developments in cognate disciplines revealing synergistic dynamics between maternal and offspring biology. Paleodietary interpretation has relied heavily on the “weanling's dilemma,” in which infants are thought to face a bleak choice between loss of immunity or malnutrition. Using a review of immunological and epidemiological evidence for the dynamic and supportive role that breastfeeding plays throughout the complementary feeding period, this article offers context and nuance for understanding past feeding transitions. We suggest that future interpretative frameworks for infant paleodietary and bioarchaeological research should include a broad knowledge base that keeps pace with relevant developments outside of those disciplines. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png American Journal of Physical Anthropology Wiley

The “weanling's dilemma” revisited: Evolving bodies of evidence and the problem of infant paleodietary interpretation

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References (269)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
ISSN
0002-9483
eISSN
1096-8644
DOI
10.1002/ajpa.24207
Publisher site
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Abstract

Breastfeeding is known to be a powerful mediator of maternal and childhood health, with impacts throughout the life course. Paleodietary studies of the past 30 years have accordingly taken an enduring interest in the health and diet of young children as a potential indicator of population fertility, subsistence, and mortality patterns. While progress has been made in recent decades toward acknowledging the agency of children, many paleodietary reconstructions have failed to incorporate developments in cognate disciplines revealing synergistic dynamics between maternal and offspring biology. Paleodietary interpretation has relied heavily on the “weanling's dilemma,” in which infants are thought to face a bleak choice between loss of immunity or malnutrition. Using a review of immunological and epidemiological evidence for the dynamic and supportive role that breastfeeding plays throughout the complementary feeding period, this article offers context and nuance for understanding past feeding transitions. We suggest that future interpretative frameworks for infant paleodietary and bioarchaeological research should include a broad knowledge base that keeps pace with relevant developments outside of those disciplines.

Journal

American Journal of Physical Anthropology – Wiley

Published: Aug 1, 2021

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