Traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infant care of Zulu women in northern KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Background Traditional practices and beliefs influence and support the behavior of women during pregnancy and childbirth in different parts of the world. Not much research has been conducted to examine whether and how cultural traditions continue to shape maternity experiences of Zulu women. The aim of this study is to establish the extent at which women in certain rural communities adhere to traditional food taboos and practices during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infants feeding, in comparison to what is recommended by health care workers. Methods A survey was conducted in the rural northern KwaZulu-Natal between 2017 and 2020. A total of 140 women between the ages of 18 and 90 years were interviewed and they were chosen purposively based on their experiences in pregnancy, postpartum recovery, infant care, and their willingness to share the knowledge. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Most (64%) of the participants said that they adhered to these cultural food taboos and practices. The most common foods avoided were certain fruits [mango, naartjie, orange, papaya, and peach], butternut, eggs, sweets (sugar, commercial juice, sweet food, and honey), chili, ice, and alcohol. The most recommended foods during pregnancy were leafy vegetables, fruits (except the avoided ones), liver, and fish. For postpartum recovery, women mostly consumed soft porridge, all fruits and vegetables, beetroot, and tea. Food not allowed for children younger than 2 years included meat, sugar and sweets, and chewable foods. Conclusion Differences on food taboos and practices between participants who received formal education and those who did not received it were insignificant. The beliefs about the detrimental effects of some foods were not backed up by scientific research. Restriction of some orange/yellow colored fruits during pregnancy that are rich in vitamin A and/or C may affect daily requirements of these micronutrients, and the foods recommended during pregnancy and postpartum period would not provide all the essential nutrients required for successful pregnancy. However, some of the food taboos would protect women from unhealthy eating. Our findings provide a basis for developing culturally appropriate nutritional mediation programs for Zulu women with a view to provide effective nutritional counseling.

Food taboos among pregnant women and associated factors in eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study

“…The fact that women who had no formal education reported having food taboos compared to their counterparts. This indicates the deep-rooted nature of the condition and how strong cultural beliefs affect food taboos which is quite consistent with the findings of studies conducted in Ethiopia, 9 , 22 , 23 , 35 Nigeria, 29 , 30 , 37 Ghana, 34 South Africa, 35 and India, 38 which have reported that women’s low education attainment was one of the significantly associated factors with food taboos.…”

“…This difference might be due to the study settings, where almost all respondents in our study were rural residents who had not attended formal education, which may affect their awareness level and had misconceptions or perceived reasons for food taboos. Nevertheless, this finding is lower as compared with studies conducted in Ethiopia that reported pregnancy-related food taboos ranged 55%–68%, 20 , 33 57% in Ghana, 34 64% in South Africa (64%), 35 70% in Malaysia (70%), 19 and 65% in India. 36 Congruent with similar studies, the most frequently mentioned reason for food taboos was fear of delivering a big baby, and cultural prohibitions of eating tabooed food during pregnancy.…”

Effect of Comprehensive Nursing Intervention Under Internet-Based WeChat Platform Education on Postoperative Recovery of Puerperae Undergoing Cesarean Section

“…In the face of social development, there are lesser on-site maternal lectures carried out in hospitals, which pregnant women can attend. Besides that, time, place, work, family, traffic, and other factors constrain health knowledge preaching, which also leads to women becoming overwhelmed when facing issues, such as delivery, C-section, postoperative rehabilitation, feeling anxious, and panic, adversely affecting their recovery after C-section [ 15 , 21 – 23 ]. With the development of internet technology, a mobile phone has become a necessity for almost everyone, and WeChat, one of the communication software on mobile phones, is a representative of lifestyle in the new era and is a learning platform.…”

High prevalence of food taboos and dietary restrictions in lactating mothers from coastal districts of a south Indian state: a hospital based study

“…This is much higher than similar studies in the past which showed a prevalence ranging between 50 to 65%. [12][13][14][15][16] In addition, food taboos during post-partum period tend to be less frequent compared to those existed during pregnancy. Food restrictions were continued for at least one month and extended upto to six months post-partum period.…”

“…19,23 Interestingly, consumption of high volumes of tea and coffee was believed to encourage lactation in a study on Zulu women which is not in line with our study findings. 14 Another study from a south Indian state (Tamil Nadu) found avoidance of curd, butter, cheese, amla (gooseberry), grapes, custard apple and green leafy vegetables as they are considered "cold" items and consumption of them during lactation cause cold and cough to the child. 16 Many studies have demonstrated thiamine deficiency in exclusively breastfed infants of mothers who are on a restricted diet consisting of polished rice.…”