A Study to Evaluate the Awareness of Cultural Beliefs and Practices and Their Impact on Health Among Postnatal Mothers at Selected Hospitals in Bangalore, With the Aim of Creating a Resource Booklet

Abstract

A newborn must begin acclimating to life outside the uterus after entering the air-breathing world without the nourishment and oxygen provided by the umbilical cord. To do this, the newborn requires the mother's help. The current study investigates traditional maternal and newborn care practices. Its goals are to determine the relationship between cultural ideas and practices and a chosen demographic variable and to investigate postpartum mothers' cultural beliefs and practices in rural areas, 60 postnatal mothers were selected. According to 28% of respondents, green leafy vegetables are healthy. 79% of mothers used Ayurvedic preparations. 81% of mothers could not afford Ayurveda or did not believe in it. According to 28% of mothers, meals ought to be consumed four times a day. 19% believed that the optimum diet for them was little and frequent. The majority of moms believed that drinking six to eight glasses of water was bad. Following the first day of delivery, 3.8% of mothers took a bath. On the second day, 28.6% of them took a bath, and on the third day, 26.2%. Ten percent of the mothers bathed twice a day, whereas the majority, or 57.6%, bathed once daily. 43% gave their infants a daily wash. 32% utilized tap water stored in the sun to give baths, while 56% used lukewarm water. Only eleven percent of moms were permitted to visit houses of worship. According to 45% of mothers, the umbilical cord should be buried after it dries and falls off.