Postpartum beliefs and practices in Danbare village, Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Postpartum cultural beliefs and practices are widely prevalent in northern Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey, we set out to examine contemporary postpartum beliefs and practices among a cohort of 300 mothers in Danbare village, northern Nigeria. Common postpartum practices included sexual abstinence (100%), physical confinement (88%), hot ritual baths (86%), nursing in heated rooms (84%) and ingestion of gruel enriched with local salt (83%). The majority of mothers (93%) believed that these practices made them stronger and helped them regain their physiologic state. Most respondents believed that non-observance could lead to body swelling, foul-smelling lochia and perineal pain. Mothers with formal education were significantly more likely to believe that these practices were non-beneficial compared with those mothers without formal education (odds ratio (OR) = 9.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.6 - 28.8). Almost half of the respondents (49%) said they would continue with these practices. In conclusion, women are still holding on to postpartum cultural beliefs and practices in northern Nigeria. However, educated women could act as useful agents of change towards the elimination of practices harmful to the health of mothers and their children.

Prolonged sexual abstinence after childbirth: gendered norms and perceived family health risks. Focus group discussions in a Tanzanian suburb

“…The promotion of child health through birth spacing is the main reason for observing abstinence in Tanzania [9,28], Ghana [10], Ivory Coast [11,19], and Nigeria [20]. In the present study however, abstinence was observed mainly to avoid kubemenda .…”

“…Qualitative interviews in the same area reveal that both women [17] and men [18] express concerns over the resumption of sex during the breastfeeding period, with a belief this may negatively affect the health of the baby. In Ghana [10], Ivory Coast [19], and Nigeria [20], there is an increased risk of the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during the breastfeeding period, as men are reported to engage in extramarital sex while their women partners observe abstinence. Such risks and concerns over the possible health implications are also voiced by Tanzanian first-time mothers [17] and fathers [18].…”

Roles and responsibilities in newborn care in four African sites

“…Studies have found that grandmothers and other female relatives often play a key role in newborn care as advisors, decision-makers and caregivers, especially for first-time mothers. These family members often being present during the first days and weeks of the child's life to provide help and support to the mother [6,7,10,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Several studies have noted the role of fathers in providing finances for birth preparedness and delivery, and their role in decision-making [7,11,12,20,21]; however, their role in the actual care of the newborn may be minimal and in some settings their role in decision-making is symbolic [7,12].…”

Early infant feeding practices in three African countries: the PROMISE-EBF trial promoting exclusive breastfeeding by peer counsellors

“…These habits have been practiced rather than the recommended early skin-to-skin contact, immediate breastfeeding and feeding-on-demand [7, 8]. Furthermore, traditional practices such as expressing and discarding of colostrum due to a belief it contains dirt, giving feeds as part of religious ceremonies and other rituals have also disturbed the vulnerable early feeding period [9, 10]. …”