Traditional beliefs and practices in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: A review of the evidence from Asian countries

Withers, Mellissa; Kharazmi, Nina; Lim, Esther

doi:10.1016/j.midw.2017.10.019

Cited by 202 publications

(189 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…Multiple factors can impact guideline adherence, including income, food availability and affordability, individual beliefs and preferences, cultural traditions, and educational, social, geographical, and environmental aspects (WHO, 2015). This sociocultural context can exert considerable influence on a diet at different stages of life; in particular, during conception and pregnancy (Withers, Kharazmi, & Lim, ). Poor adherence to dietary guidelines or nutritional recommendations during the preconception period (i.e., the weeks to months before pregnancy occurs) and throughout pregnancy can have a negative impact on fertility, pregnancy and birth outcomes, as well as the future health of the offspring (Craig, Jenkins, Carrell, & Hotaling, ; Lane, Robker, & Robertson, ; Stephenson et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary guideline adherence during preconception and pregnancy: A systematic review

Caut

Leach

Steel

2019

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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The aim of this study is to determine the level of adherence to dietary guidelines among men and women during preconception, and pregnant women, and factors associated with adherence. Searches were conducted in CINAHL, AMED, EMBASE, and Maternity and Infant Care from inception to March 2018. Observational studies assessing the primary outcome (adherence to dietary guidelines and/or nutritional recommendations) and/or secondary outcome (factors associated with adherence) were eligible. Study quality was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross‐sectional studies. Men or women (aged ≥18 years) who identified as trying/intending to conceive or were pregnant. Eighteen studies were included. The quality of studies was fair (44%) to good (56%). Most studies indicated preconceptual and pregnant women do not meet recommendations for vegetable, cereal grain, or folate intake. Pregnant women did not meet iron or calcium intake requirements in 91% and 55% of included studies, respectively, and also exceeded fat intake recommendations in 55% of included studies. Higher level education was associated with improved guideline adherence in pregnant women, whereas older age and non‐smoking status were associated with greater guideline adherence in preconceptual and pregnant women. The findings of this review suggest that preconceptual and pregnant women may not be meeting the minimum requirements stipulated in dietary guidelines and/or nutritional recommendations. This could have potential adverse consequences for pregnancy and birth outcomes and the health of the offspring. Major knowledge gaps identified in this review, which warrant further investigation, are the dietary intakes of men during preconception, and the predictors of guideline adherence.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary guideline adherence during preconception and pregnancy: A systematic review

Caut

Leach

Steel

2019

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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“…These findings are consistent with our explanation for the significant association of birth quarter of the year with learning capacity in childhood because of poor 1st and 4th quarters household ventilation. Additionally, to help mothers recover and avoid infection, there is a strict tradition in China, Confinement in Childbirth, that mothers and their children must stay in the low‐ventilated residence throughout the 1st month and are forbidden to go outdoors . This tradition also limits newborns breathing fresh air, especially during the severe cold months in northeast China.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The solar radiation levels are lower during the 1st and 4th quarters of the year than during other quarters in northern China. However, since mothers and their children must stay in the residence and are forbidden to go outdoors in the 1st month due to the strict “Confinement in Childbirth” tradition, the solar radiation levels are not substantially different and likely do not have significant associations with learning abilities among our studied participants. Fourth, some studies have suggested that the insufficient intake of vitamins and nutrients from fresh vegetables and fruits in cold seasons among pregnancy mothers and neonatal infants may be associated with the lower behavioral cognition capacity among these infants in the later lifetimes .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In another study in Tianjin and Cangzhou of China, ventilation rates during sleeping time in night were measured in 399 homes and were significantly lower in winter than in summer (0.30 vs 1.11 hour −1 ) . In China, Confinement in Childbirth is a strict tradition to help mothers recover and avoid infection . Mothers and their children stay in the residence throughout the child's 1st month and are forbidden to go outdoors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…30 In China, Confinement in Childbirth is a strict tradition to help mothers recover and avoid infection. 33 Mothers and their children stay in the residence throughout the child's 1st month and are forbidden to go outdoors. This tradition further limits newborns breathing fresh outdoor air and reduces solar radiation exposure, especially during the severe cold months in northeast China.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Birth month is associated with learning capacity in childhood in Northeast China

Liu

Chen

et al. 2019

Indoor Air

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It is difficult to evaluate long‐term ventilation and indoor‐outdoor temperature variation on‐site in the birth residence so as to investigate their associations with learning capacity from childhood through adolescence. Here, we conducted a questionnaire‐based retrospective cohort study in ten schools from two northeast China cities with warm summers and severe cold winters when residences had very low air exchange rates. Scores for Chinese, Mathematics, and English in the final exams of the summer semester in June 2018 were collected to evaluate learning capacity. We surveyed 6238 students aged 14.7 (SD: 2.1) years old. Using the 2nd quarter (April‐May‐June) birth as reference, 4th quarter (October‐November‐December) birth consistently was significantly associated with lower scores in Chinese in bivariate (β, 95%CI: −3.2, −4.3 to −2.0) and multivariate (−1.8, −2.4 to −0.8) linear regression analyses. Stratified sub‐analyses showed significant associations for male (−2.4, −3.7 to −1.1), urban (−2.4, −3.4 to −1.4), and primary students (−2.9, −4.5 to −1.4). Since household ventilation and indoor‐outdoor temperature variation had great differences between the 2nd and 4th quarter of year, our results suggest that these two factors in the birth residence could be associated with learning capacity in childhood, especially for male and primary students in northeast China.

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Adolescent pregnant women's perception of health practices: A qualitative study

et al. 2023

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Aim To explore adolescent pregnant women's perception of health practices. Design A qualitative study. Method Fifteen pregnant women in Tehran (capital of Iran) were selected based on purposive sampling to participate in semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews. The content of interviews was recorded and transcribed and then analysed using conventional content analysis. Results The first theme extracted was health practice with main categories of balanced rest/activity pattern, observance of an appropriate diet, sensitivity to personal health, observance of an appropriate pattern of social interactions, religious and spiritual orientations, recreational and leisure time activities, and stress management; second theme was perceived benefits with main categories of a sense of physical health improvement, a sense of mental health improvement, positive attitudes towards the effect of nutrition on pregnancy and childbirth health; and third theme was effective factors with main categories of facilitators of health practices and inhibitors of health practices. Conclusions Most pregnant adolescents' perception of health practices is at a satisfactory level; however, some inhibitors of health practice were explored in this study. These should be improved by adopting appropriate approaches in health policies. No Patient or Public Contribution.

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Traditional beliefs and practices in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: A review of the evidence from Asian countries

Cited by 202 publications

References 98 publications

Dietary guideline adherence during preconception and pregnancy: A systematic review

Dietary guideline adherence during preconception and pregnancy: A systematic review

Birth month is associated with learning capacity in childhood in Northeast China

Adolescent pregnant women's perception of health practices: A qualitative study

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