Food avoidances of pregnant women in Tamilnad

Ferro-Luzzi, Gabriella Eichinger

doi:10.1080/03670244.1973.9990346

Cited by 25 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Dietary practices during pregnancy reflect this common belief system. Thus, very hot foods are also avoided because of their reputed abortifacient qualities by Tamils (Eichinger Ferro-Luzzi, 1973), Malays and Chinese in Malaysia (Manderson, 1979), and Puerto Ricans (Harwoqd, 1971). Extremely hot and cold foods are avoided or limited throughout pregnancy by all these women and by Cantonese (Topley, 1974), Mexicans (Currier, 1966;Ingham, 1970) and Mexican-American women (Snow and Johnson, 1978).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Vietnamese behavioral and dietary precautions during pregnancy

Manderson

Mathews

1981

Ecology of Food and Nutrition

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Vietnamese behavioral and dietary precautions during pregnancy

Manderson

Mathews

1981

Ecology of Food and Nutrition

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“…During the hot stage of late pregnancy, cold foods such as fruits and vegetables should be consumed in large quantities, as well as neutral foods such as rice, chicken and some fish (Ferro-Luzzi, 1973;Manderson and Mathews, 1981b;Wilson, 1973). Some "wind" foods such as seafood and buffalo may be avoided because of associations with convulsions and allergenic reactions (Manderson and Mathews, 1981a).…”

Section: Stages Of Pregnancy and Appropriate Dietmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In other cultures, dietary restrictions may be influenced by the belief that certain common foods cause specific maladies. For example, Tamilnad women of South India believe ingestion of fish during pregnancy will produce fits in the child (Ferro-Luzzi, 1973). In many Asian cultures precautions are based on the belief that a balance of foods containing "hot" and "cold" qualities is essential.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary habits and obstetrical service utilization during pregnancy and lactation among Tai Dam women of central Iowa

Stewart

Whiteford

1987

Ecology of Food and Nutrition

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Throughout the world, pregnancy and lactation are considered to be periods of vulnerability to the well-being of both mother and child. Cross-culturally the physiological, metabolic and psychological requirements of childbirth are met differently. This study investigates the nutritional and medical worldview of Tai Dam refugee women living in central Iowa. It focuses on perceptions of pregnancy and lactation, dietary beliefs which affect the foods consumed during these stages of the female lifecycle, and provides an assessment of the health implications to Tai Dam women. Physician/patient communication is addressed, particularly in terms of how cultural traditions inhibit the utilization of available health care during pregnancy. In addition, this article examines social change and its effect on traditional health practices. INTRODUCTIONThroughout the world, pregnancy and lactation are considered to be periods of vulnerability to the well-being of both mother and child. These are times, for example, when women in many cultures often are thought to possess supernatural powers, or be influenced by them. In most cultures specific foods are equated with health (Foster and Anderson, 1978). Although there is an enormous range of diversity, dietary precautions are commonly followed in order to promote a healthy pregnancy and ensure successful lactation.Cross-culturally the physiological, metabolic and psychological requirements of childbirth are met differently. In the United States, for example, the emphasis on nutrition cautions against the use of alcohol and certain medications, while encouraging the consumption of milk, protein-rich foods and vitamins. In other cultures, dietary restrictions may be influenced by the belief that certain common foods cause specific maladies. For example, Tamilnad women of South India believe ingestion of fish during pregnancy will produce fits in the child (Ferro-Luzzi, 1973). In many Asian cultures precautions are based on the belief that a balance of foods containing "hot" and "cold" qualities is essential. In rural Latin America, pregnant women avoid many foods with hot qualities. Similarly, traditional Chinese women 121 F.N.-B demonstrate this principle by avoiding the overuse of hot spices in their diet .Regardless of the cultural reasoning behind dietary alterations, nutrition during pregnancy affects the health of both mother and child. For health officials who wish to provide traditional ethnic women with pre-and post-natal care, familiarity with the cultural differences between health providers and patient can ease communication and provide more successful health care.The purpose of this study is to investigate the nutritional and medical worldview of Tai Dam refugee women living in central Iowa and obtain previously unavailable information on their traditional belief system. Specifically, it focuses on perceptions of pregnancy and lactation, dietary beliefs which affect the foods consumed during these stages of the female lifecycle, and provides an assessment of the health i...

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“…Explaining the common avoidance of papaya consumption during pregnancy in Tamil Nadu communities in India, Ferro-Luzzi (1980) referred to the Tamil term for papaya, 'papali', which comprises two parts, 'pappa' meaning little child, 'ali' meaning to destroy. This indicates the strong belief in the destructive ability of papaya during pregnancy in India.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Women are strictly forbidden from eating ripe and unripe papaya for fear of its teratogenic and abortifacient effects. A study among 1200 women from all districts of Tamil Nadu in India showed that 82 % of women avoided papaya during pregnancy (Ferro-Luzzi, 1980). In Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar, different parts of the papaya have been used indigenously as abortifacients (Keharo & Bouquet, 1950;Quisumbing, 1951;Tang, 1979).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Papaya (<I>Carica papaya</I>) consumption is unsafe in pregnancy: fact or fable? Scientific evaluation of a common belief in some parts of Asia using a rat model

Adebiyi

Adaikan²,

Prasad

2002

British Journal of Nutrition

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Using controlled in vivo and in vitro pharmacological methods, we evaluated the safety of papaya (Carica papaya ) consumption in pregnancy with reference to its common avoidance during pregnancy in some parts of Asia. Ripe papaya (Carica papaya L. (Caricaecae) blend (500 ml/l water) was freely given to four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats at different stages of gestation (days 1 -5, 6 -11, 12-17 and 1 -20). The control group received water. The effect of ripe papaya juice and crude papaya latex on pregnant and non-pregnant rats' uteri was also evaluated using standard isolated-organ-bath methods. The daily volumes (ml) of ripe papaya blend consumed by the treated group were significantly (P,0·05) more than water consumed by the control (control 40·3 (SD 11·6) v. treated 64 (SD 19·0)). There was no significant difference in the number of implantation sites and viable fetuses in the rats given ripe papaya relative to the control. No sign of fetal or maternal toxicity was observed in all the groups. In the in vitro study, ripe papaya juice (0·1-0·8 ml) did not show any significant contractile effect on uterine smooth muscles isolated from pregnant and non-pregnant rats; conversely, crude papaya latex (0·1-3·2 mg/ml) induced spasmodic contraction of the uterine muscles similar to oxytocin (1-64 mU/ml) and prostaglandin F 2a (0·028 -1·81 mM). The response of the isolated rat uterine smooth muscles to 0·2 mg crude papaya latex/ml was comparable to 0·23 mM prostaglandin F 2a and 32 mU oxytocin/ml. In the 18 -19 d pregnant rat uterus, the contractile effect of crude papaya latex was characterized by tetanic spasms. The results of the present study suggest that normal consumption of ripe papaya during pregnancy may not pose any significant danger. However, the unripe or semi-ripe papaya (which contains high concentration of the latex that produces marked uterine contractions) could be unsafe in pregnancy. Though evaluation of potentially toxic agents often relies on animal experimental results to predict risk in man, further studies will be necessary to ascertain the ultimate risk of unripe papaya-semi-ripe papaya consumption during pregnancy in man.

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Food avoidances of pregnant women in Tamilnad

Cited by 25 publications

References 2 publications

Vietnamese behavioral and dietary precautions during pregnancy

Vietnamese behavioral and dietary precautions during pregnancy

Dietary habits and obstetrical service utilization during pregnancy and lactation among Tai Dam women of central Iowa

Papaya (<I>Carica papaya</I>) consumption is unsafe in pregnancy: fact or fable? Scientific evaluation of a common belief in some parts of Asia using a rat model

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