2023年5月，《柳叶刀》杂志发表系列专题文章，引入了一个全新的概念——“小体形脆弱新生儿（SVN）”，将早产、小于胎龄（SGA）和低出生体重（LBW）3类新生儿划入同一个范畴下。早产儿、SGA和LBW分别有其各自的定义，长期以来一直作为3类不同人群被纳入不同的临床管理。但是，这三者间存在较多交叉重合，其病理生理机制相互影响，单独定义不能反映这些新生儿的全貌，不仅可能低估高危新生儿的数量，也会对临床处理决策产生影响。SVN概念的提出，旨在通过这一全新视角，加大对SVN的关注，完整反映高危新生儿的总体问题，推动围产医学、新生儿、儿童乃至整个社会的健康与持续发展。未来，SVN势必成为学科发展和临床实践的核心理念。因此，本文从SVN概念引入的背景、对流行病学研究以及预防和干预策略的影响等方面展开综述，以帮助临床医师和医学研究工作者了解这一全新的概念，并理解SVN背后的逻辑和对未来发展的重要意义。

In May 2023, a series of thematic articles published in The Lancet introduced a novel concept—small vulnerable neonates (SVN) which categorizes preterm, small for gestational age (SGA), and low birth weight (LBW) neonates under a unified framework. Preterm birth, SGA, and LBW have their respective definitions and have long been considered distinct populations in different clinical practices. However, there is considerable overlap among these three categories, and their pathophysiological mechanisms interact. Isolated definitions fail to capture the full picture of these neonates, potentially leading to an underestimation of the number of high-risk newborns and affecting clinical decision-making. The introduction of the SVN concept aims to increase attention to this group through a new perspective, comprehensively reflect the overall issues of high-risk newborns, and promote the health and sustainable development of perinatal medicine, neonatology, pediatrics, and even society as a whole. In the future, SVN is poised to become a core concept in disciplinary advancement and clinical practice. Therefore, this review elaborates on the background of the SVN concept, its implications for epidemiological research, as well as prevention and intervention strategies, to help clinicians and medical researchers understand this new concept and appreciate the rationale behind SVN and its significance for future development.