However, there are some things that remain taboo in certain parts of the world. Neonates are perceived to be vulnerable to the evil eyes of jealous community members. Some patients and doctors still adhere to a paternalistic model of health care in which doctor knows best. Patients might be hesitant to ask questions out of fear of judgment, so doctors must provide every opportunity for open communication. Design: In-depth interviews relating to traditional and changed beliefs and practices of pregnancy and childbirth with Thai women in Northern Thailand. Eating soup with nails of pig: thematic synthesis of the qualitative literature on cultural practices and beliefs influencing perinatal nutrition in low and middle income countries. In principle, the maternity vouchers cannot be re-issued. In any case, the more popular hospitals get booked quickly so its important to act fast. when the woman is almost due for delivery she must not eat ripe plantain, it is called kyem d3 which means that you will be feeling some sweet sensations in your body when you are pushing during pregnancy but the baby will never come out but that practice is now extinct so now we eat the ripe plantain (Elderly woman, FGD). Some were also of the view that sex restrictions could make ones partner engage in extra marital affairs. However, accepting harmless social practices during labour will improve trust and cater for communitys worldview about childbirth and foster skilled delivery. During the interviews, detailed descriptive field-notes were written. If the monikers not on the list, they have to make a strong case for why the state should make an exception. Postpartum haemorrhage for instance, is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in Ghana and most of these deaths have occurred due to delays in referral or seeking health care. Socio-cultural beliefs are common and transcend the entire peripartum period. Data collection tools and procedure. You register your details online and then you have access to a special hotline which jumps you to the front of the queue and is open 24 hours per day. Your Pregnancy Matters, Pediatrics; They understandably want to examine you in person beforehand. Date:November 11, 2017 Minato Citys website is also a good source for updated information in English. Japanese women are advised to have prenatal visits every 4 weeks through 23 weeks gestation, every 2 weeks from 24 to 35 weeks, and every week after 36 weeks, for a total of 14 prenatal visit for a low to medium risk pregnancy. Initiating breast-feeding earlier than this will cause the baby to be upset. Pregnancy is the time that many women believe they can eat just about anything. During this celebration, some mothers burn the placenta to symbolize the physical separation of mother and child. They were of the view that babies need variety in their diet. The predominant language is Twi. In view of that, there are certain socio-cultural beliefs and practices that are supposed to buffer any untoward occurrence. Raman S, Nicholls R, Ritchie J, Razee H, Shafiee S. Midwifery. Typically, these will go: Naturally, the actual frequency will depend on your own situation following consultation with your doctor. Would you like email updates of new search results? This may be related, in part, to women's beliefs about exercise in pregnancy, which are likely influenced by cultural background. Also off limits: names that can negatively affect babys well-being (for example, Apple). The Awuo mre aduro is given to you in the ninth month and it aids smooth delivery (Woman with child under five, FGD). As for okro, it will make the baby have diarrhoea (Woman with under- five child, FGD). 2016 statistics show that nationwide 505,759 ($3,723) was the average cost of a natural birth. Your Pregnancy Matters, Appointment Many women who come to Australia have a pragmatic attitude to traditional If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see this FAQ. Additionally, you may have costs relating to prescriptions for symptoms during pregnancy (e.g. She measures the cord with her hand and then she will tie it and cut it with the blade. We used focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) for this study. 2023 Jan 9;9:942331. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.942331. Maintaining health during pregnancy and postpartum involves many things that should be done as well as many things that should be avoided. After baby arrives, the new mom traditionally stays at her parents home for at least a month, and rests in bed for 21 days to recuperate and bond with baby, while family members pitch in with chores. The rural areas have a total population of 36,990 representing 53.5% of the population of the District relative to 46.5% residing in urban localities (GSS, Citation2010). For example, the belief was that women developed internal wounds after delivery. If they do not feel that they can exercise control over their health behaviour, they are not motivated to act, or to persist through challenges. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to compare attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control toward exercise, together with current levels of . Our patients represent a broad spectrum of ethnicities and walks of life, as well as a tapestry of beliefs and customs that help shape their values. It is herbs or the back of a tree nu bena, you use it to prepare soup and sometimes after delivery the placenta is retained, you use it. To support the financial burden of childbirth, families are given a childbirth lump-sum allowance (, shussan-ikuji-ichikin). On the seventh day for a Yoruba girl and the ninth day for a boy, theyre given water (to have no enemies), palm oil (for a smooth, stress-free life), kola nut (for a long and healthy one) and salt and pepper (to keep things exciting and spicy). The following quotes are illustrations of that belief: When a woman gives birth, she develops a wound which will have to be treated. According to researchers, Asian women suffer the largest proportion of the worlds maternal deaths, and low rates of maternal health care utilization to access services persist. That works only when someone wants to be treated the same way as you. The spoon means a girl, the knife a boy and the fork means the gender is undetermined. There is therefore the need for the formal health system to collaborate with the TBAs to ensure all such babies are immunised. This study employed both narrative and phenomenology study designs. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released acommittee opinionurging doctors to recognize that their approach to patients behaviors and beliefs can negatively affect patient communications. For . Further, what the medical institutions can and cannot offer in terms of medical services also differs. Birth Notification Certificate of Acceptance (. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. Accessibility This goal is particularly integral in efforts to design better preventive health care strategies for pregnant and postpartum women from multiple cultural and ethnic backgrounds. From discount vouchers and booking hospital beds to the different types of medical facilities, the system of care and support can all seem somewhat arcane. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name ), as well as the following items: Unless you have your own transport, youre going to be relying on a taxi to get you to the hospital. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Any variations in views were discussed and resolved by the translators. And because the new mothers body is considered vulnerable, she has to wrap her belly in a cloth girdle or sash called a faja, and keep her head and neck covered as well. As a result, we do not have permission from the participants to share the raw data. For example, not all places can offer painless delivery (an epidural injection during labor to relieve pain); others have more advanced ultrasound technology, and so on. Pregnancy, child birth, and care are cherished moments in most communities in Ghana. Children of foreign nationals born in Japan are granted permission to stay for 60 days without any status of residence. This was done to get a better understanding of the socio-cultural beliefs and practices among pregnant women in the community. For example, I recall a patient who was in labor with a premature baby. If you're not sure how to activate it, please refer to this site. To provide financial support to families, Japan offers maternity vouchers (, ninsanpu-hoken-hiy-hojoken) to expecting mothers. A total of 74 articles are included in this review; 20 articles related to pregnancy, 44 to childbirth, and 45 to postpartum. Especially in pregnancy care, there are cultural nuances to many aspects of communication, from religious and family dynamics to guidelines around personal space and privacy. The sequence of events that followed is not entirely clear, but according to Mrs. Koga, she carried the infant outside and laid him on the bank of a pond. In relation to sexual practices after birth, participants generally agreed that the practice could vary among couples. If individuals have a sense of personal agency or self-efficacy, they can change behaviours even when faced with obstacles. In the hospital they make you lie down and raise your leg. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Providing the individual transcripts will breech the confidentiality and anonymity requirement during ethical approval. In Tokyo, your best bet is hospitals and clinics in Minato Ward and Shibuya Ward. Though home births have been trending in the US, Holland takes the cake for the highest number of home births in the Western world. This social practice restricts the mother and the neonate from seeking health care outside the home thus preventing the continuum of care during the neonatal period. Participants in this study were of the view that engaging in sex during pregnancy was essential in ensuring smooth delivery and highly recommended for women. Things to stay away from. However, babies born at such places may miss out on immunisations given immediately after birth like BCG and OPV. Instead of being showered with gifts when baby is born, its the opposite in Brazilwhen guests come to see mother and child in the hospital, she gives them a basket of presents instead. We humbly apologize for the inconvenience. We conducted a literature search of articles: a) focusing on Asia; b) relating to pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum, c) relating to traditional beliefs and/or cultural practices; and 4) published in English in the year 2000 or more recently. Good practices need to be identified and promoted whilst harmful practices must be discouraged (Saaka & Iddrisu, Citation2014). 1970; Damo 1972). We as adults do not eat only one food. These herbs make the birth process go smooth without complication. So, we have to give them soft food after some week (Elderly woman, FGD). Before Traditional beliefs and practices in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: A review of the evidence from Asian countries According to researchers, Asian women suffer the largest proportion of the world's maternal deaths, and low rates of maternal health care utilization to access services persist. The governments plan seems to be working, since the country has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. As directed by Maynard and Purvis (Citation1994), participants listening to tapes after interviews is an important step in qualitative data analysis even though it is frequently overlooked. Private hospitals and clinics that do have childbirth facilities will usually be able to offer a better level of comfort versus general hospitals. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613817302012?via%3Dihub#! Some will be able to provide regular checkups including ultrasounds and blood tests, but require the expecting mother to deliver at another hospital; others will specialize in something else entirely. Levels and Determinants of Antenatal Breastfeeding Attitudes among Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. This referral letter, along with test results, will then be submitted to the new hospital. Consultation hours also differ; notably, not all places offer appointments at the weekend. Protecting pregnancy from evil forces resulted in the practice of confinement and consequently late initiation of antenatal care. In Bangladesh, an earlier study reported that confinement of the mother and baby was observed until noai ceremony on day 7 or 9 to protect the baby against any evil (Winch et al., Citation2005). Quality assessment of pre- and postnatal nutrition and exercise mobile applications in the United States and China. Beliefs and practices regarding delivery and postpartum maternal morbidity in rural Bangladesh. Omiyamairis generally take place when boys and girls are 31 and 33 days old, respectively, although some geographic variations exist. Thematic data analysis process consists of three interrelated stages namely data reduction, data display and data conclusion-drawing or verification (Miles & Huberman, Citation1994). Community-based management of neonatal conditions using trained village health workers has been shown to be effective in reducing neonatal mortality (Bhutta et al., Citation2005). More in: These checkups are called ninshin-kenk-shindan () in Japanese. However, neonates with these conditions may not have access to good medical care because of the mandatory confinement as a way of protecting the baby against evil eyes. Doctors must approach these conversations differently from the way we might discuss less intimate procedures. The process included reading and rereading of the interviews and focusing on the identification of themes relating to the beliefs and practices relating to intrapartum and postpartum continuum of care at community. If your child will stay in Japan longer than 60 days and you hold a resident status other than Permanent Resident (, tokubestu-eijken), you need to make anApplication for Certificate of Eligibility (, zairy-shikaku-shutoku-kyoka-shinsei) at the Japanese Immigration within 30 days of birth. A pilot study was conducted in the Greater Accra region. Women's fear of unnecessary medical interventions is a barrier to institutional births. An official website of the United States government. The majority of participants come from Western nations. Select your child's age in months to begin tracking their development. Unfortunately, herbal remedies which are regarded to promote healthy delivery have been found to lead to severe bleeding that can be fatal according to a study in Bangladesh (Choudhury & Ahmed, Citation2011). Newborn health also constitutes a human right as specified in the Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, Citation2013). All pregnant women are required to pick up a kraampakket that includes all of the medical supplies needed for a home birth. In addition, participants indicated that swelling of the feet was sign that the baby in the uterus was a male. Their findings, published in the journal Midwifery, found many Asian women continue to practice a wide range of traditional beliefs and practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. These codes were turned unto nodes within the software. The discounts offered by the maternity vouchers differ depending on where you live (although in the 23 wards of central Tokyo they are the same), as do the non-medical auxiliary services such as free massages and house cleans post-birth. Another reason cited for delivery at TBA is the use of herbs which is believed to be effective and facilitate the labour. In effect, the context in which an individual is, tends to exert some control over the persons behavioural tendencies. Just ask any foreign woman who has given birth in Japan. Again, 2.9 million neonates die, with three-quarters of these deaths taking place in the first 7 days of life (UNICEF, Citation2012). or 817-882-2400, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Register a free Taylor & Francis Online account today to boost your research and gain these benefits: Socio-cultural beliefs and practices during pregnancy, child birth, and postnatal period: A qualitative study in Southern Ghana, 1 World Health Organization Country Office for Ghana, Ghana;2 Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, Cultural beliefs and practices of women influencing home births in rural Northern Ghana, Global, regional, and national levels and trends in maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015, with scenario-based projections to 2030: A systematic analysis by the un Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00838-7, Maternal death in rural Ghana: A case study in the Upper East region of Ghana, Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective, Beyond symptom recognition: Care-seeking for ill newborns in rural Ghana, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3156.2007.01981.x, Community-based interventions for improving perinatal and neonatal health outcomes in developing countries: A review of the evidence, Maternal care practices among the ultra poor households in rural Bangladesh: A qualitative exploratory study, Causes of neonatal deaths in a rural subdistrict of Bangladesh: Implications for intervention, Qualitative research designs: Selection and implementation, Time to initiation of breastfeeding and neonatal mortality and morbidity: A systematic review, https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-S3-S19, A review of cultural influence on maternal mortality in the developing world, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2012.04.002, A two-year review of uterine rupture in a regional hospital, Healthcare in Low-resource Settings: The individual perspective, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2695, Huge poor-rich inequalities in maternity care: An international comparative study of maternity and child care in developing countries, Contextual social cognition and the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia, https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182518375, An intervention involving traditional birth attendants in Pakistan, Every newborn: Progress, priorities, and potential beyond survival, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60496-7, Cultural childbirth practices and beliefs in Zambia, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02709.x, Perception of care in Zambian women attending community antenatal clinics, The Ghana community-based health planning and services initiative for scaling up service delivery innovation, Orthodox versus unorthodox care: A qualitative study on where rural women seek healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth in Southwest, Nigeria, Food prohibitions and other traditional practices in pregnancy: A Qualitative study in Western Region of Ghana, The effect of community nurses and health volunteers on child mortality: The Navrongo community health and family planning project, https://doi.org/10.1080/14034940701349225, Nyo dua hli30 days confinement: Traditions and changed childbearing beliefs and practices among Hmong women in Australia, Maternal mortality in Ghana: The other side, Committing to child survival A promise renewed, Phenomenological research methods for counseling psychology, https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.167, Local understandings of vulnerability and protection during the neonatal period in Sylhet district, Bangladesh: A qualitative study, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66836-5. Families here still practice a folkloric custom where a spoon, knife and fork are placed under three different chairs, and the mom-to-be chooses one to sit on. 3. The beliefs and practices during puerperium were further divided into those that are related to care of the baby and those related to the mother. So, my baby also started feeling thirsty and will be crying uncontrollably. Additionally, men and women, as patients and doctors, tend to have different communication styles. New Patient Appointment Check out these fascinating, time-honored traditions from every corner of the globe. Published By: Midwifery The country has a high and rising proportion of underweight babies, defined as 2.5kg or less at birth. During this period, the baby is not allowed to either be seen or touched by people who are outside the nuclear family. or Call214-645-8300. When it is not, we recommend that the doctor have a conversation with the patient to find solutions to make the situation more comfortable. And we must ask the right questions to ensure that patients understand why we are making certain recommendations and how we will care for them in a thoughtful, open-minded manner. Participants mentioned some local herbs that are either ingested or used as enema in preparation towards childbirth. Eleven (11) FGDs were conducted 5 among males and 6 among female community members. Posted on December 8, 2017August 25, 2018, Traditional beliefs and practices in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: A review of the evidence from Asian countries. Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division. In this study, the socio-cultural practice of confinement rather delayed the initiation of ANC. This figure further decreased to 776 in 2020. That works only when someone wants to be treated the same way as you.. For three weeks after childbirth, it is traditional for the new mother to recover in her parents' home, staying in bed. A codebook was first developed for the main themes and sub-themes from preliminary reading through the transcripts. More than one-half (38) of the articles focused on South Asia and 13 related to China. eCollection 2022. Cultural competency starts with effective communication, listening, and respect. It is because of this that some women prefer to come to our facility (TBA, IDI). Find a Doctor These social practices tend to affect utilisation of some essential maternal and child health practices. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Pregnancy care providers see a lot of cultural diversity every day. Since the 1930s, new moms in Finland have received the ultimate care package from the state, filled with baby necessities like clothes, diapers, bedding, bibs and a first aid kit, all in a cardboard box that can do double duty as a crib. The below is designed to give an overview of what to expect, what you need to do, as well as hopefully provide a rough idea of overall expected costs. The following quotes illustrate some participants view about this: When you give birth to the baby and the eyes and palms are yellow, it is normal because of the change in the environment of baby. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. phone chargers, books, magazines, etc. Stud Fam Plann. You expose the baby to the sun and it will disappear. In effect, notes taken during the interviews covered; interactions between the interviewer and interviewees, non-verbal communication, environment, and reflections from interview content. If this is not treated, it can affect the womans health and that of the child (Postnatal woman, FGD). Socio-cultural practices generally have been reported to affect child survival (Adatara et al., Citation2019; Wright et al., Citation2014). Also take your Maternity and Children Health Handbook because you will given a small certificate which you should cut out and stick in your handbook. Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 13(1), 15-26. The acceptance of harmless social practices during labour however, will improve trust and cater for communitys worldview about childbirth and ultimately foster skilled delivery. The following quotes are reflections of those views: Sometimes when you go for them and you later on decide to give birth and want to take it out, it can break your womb and render you barren (Woman with under five child, FGD). Cultural beliefs can influence women's use of formal maternal health care services. When they finally do, it symbolizes their crossing over to our earthly realm. We are very fertile here so we all have children and if anyone is not having a child then it is probably the kind of life she had lived and the family planning too if you use it, it can destroy your womb because when you use it for a long period of time, it remains in your blood and it will take long to for it to leave your system for you to get pregnant again (Woman with child under five, FGD). Consequently, there was the need to introduce them to other foods instead of breastmilk only. Websites for a few of the main companies: Nihon Kotsu, Ebara Kotsu, KM Taxi. All participants signed an informed consent form before participation. That notwithstanding, the decline rate is slower than expected (Apanga & Awoonor-Williams, Citation2018). This is on the basis of the social context network model where individuals integrate contextual information during social processes (Ibanez & Manes, Citation2012). In addition, when one is pregnant with a boy, the uterus is often bigger than when it is a female. I put hot water compresses on the fontanelle because it is soft and so when I do that it helps to make it strong and also close the gap in the fontanelle. They do not accommodate regular checkups. At the ceremony the parents take turns feeding the baby, wishing he/she will have abundance of food throughout his/her life. Cultural and traditional practices, values, and beliefs have been identified by Bazzano et al. 5. Some participants also believed that eating of egg during pregnancy was forbidden because it will make the babys head soft as illustrated in the quote: the reason why you are not supposed to eat egg is because if you deliver, your babys head becomes very soft, I have tried it and it is true so I had to put a towel in hot water to always massage the babys head until about forty days time it became good so we stopped (Woman with child under five, FGD). doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068216. Participants indicated that ripe plantain and egg were generally prohibited during pregnancy. Originally created for low-income families to give all babies an equal start in life, Finlands freebie package became available to all moms in 1949. Relationship trajectories of pregnant women with their parents and postpartum depression: A hospital-based prospective cohort study in Japan. Mom and baby stay home for 20 days after the delivery, and friends stop by and also sip serbeti. Some help to heal wounds in your stomach after birth (Postnatal woman, FGD). The belief among participants was that female babies were born with sores in their vulva which needed to be treated with warm dressing to help in the healing process. Narrative study design allows research participants to share their knowledge on a particular study topic (Bowling, Citation2014). This means more clothes, more personal items (e.g. Obviously, this extra level of care and service comes at a cost, and private hospitals and clinics can be considerably more expensive than general or university hospitals. This was mentioned and corroborated in the following quotes: An unborn child can be bewitched by so pregnant women will have to stay at home. when I am pregnant with a boy, he lies on the right side of the womb and girl lies on the left side. Since then I have been giving him water and some mashed kenkey (Postnatal woman, FGD). You are not required to obtain permission to reuse this article in part or whole. So, my mother advised me to give him water and he stopped. Thus, during economic downturns, being pregnant can essentially save your job. Most Japanese women aim to deliver their baby sans painkillers, an ancient belief that stems from the Buddhist belief that labor pains must be endured as a test to prepare for the difficulties of motherhood. The participants included community members, pregnant women, and women with children under five years. As a result, confinement during early pregnancy was a common practice as shown in the quote. or 214-645-8300 Included in the narrative are the beliefs of a Laotian woman who does not breast-feed her child until the third day postpartum. Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. Reservation enquiries need to be made even in the case where youre going for regular check-ups to the same hospital or clinic where you want to deliver (and thus the doctors and nurses are fully aware of your expected delivery date). 1999. Therefore, taking the national average figure of 505,759 ($3,723), the amount that you would have to pay from your own pocket is this figure less the childbirth lump-sum allowance, or about 86,000 ($633). As a result, neonate and mother are confined for periods ranging from 1 week to about 40 days. From how women are treated to abortion policies, each region has adapted their own unique cultural perspectives on pregnancy. They interpret this as good practice that is beneficial to them in some way or another. This was especially so for women who lived at places where they had to cross a river to the nearest health facility for ANC. The study relied on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) foundations developed by Albert Bandura, a psychologist (Bandura, Citation2005). As at 2015, the risk of a woman in a developing country dying from a maternal-related cause during her lifetime was about 33 times higher compared to a woman living in a developed country (Alkema et al., Citation2016). headaches, constipation relief, etc. However, some aspects of Japanese prenatal care may leave foreign women bemused, bewildered or even belligerent.