The Customs and Cultural Practices on Premature Baby Care among Tribal Women of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra a Qualitative Study

Child birth and neonatal period are culturally important times, during which there is a strong adherence to traditional practices among tribal population. The prevailing and the dominant understanding reveal that they are unchanging and resistant to newer innovations. They are perceived as an inhibitor to the so called modernizing process. The present study is aimed at exploring the traditional practices and customs related to premature baby care among tribal community.

A qualitative research, ethnographic study was conducted among the women at two tribal villages at Ahmednagar district, to understand the customs and traditional practices related to care of premature infants among the tribal community. Data was collected from 30 tribal women, two Anganwadi workers, two Dais, two ANMs which throws light on amazing customs and cultural practices related to premature baby care. A self prepared and pre tested unstructured interview schedule was used for data collection. The descriptive and inferential statistics were applied wherever required.

The findings of study show that, though the tribal did not had concept clarity of prematurity, they give importance to maintain the temperature of newborn baby irrespective of their gestational maturity. Interestingly, it was noted that tribal's did not feed the baby with colostrums, believing that it's a dirty milk, instead used sugar/jaggery water or honey. Bathed the baby immediately after birth, with oil massage, instils oil in ears, and putting oil and ‘kumkum’ at cord stump. It was found and validated that the tribal's used kajol marking, tied black threads and puts metal ear rings etc to drive away evil spirit, further they firmly believed in the effect of block eye on the newborn.

The results revealed a many traditional practices and customs related to newborn care practised by the tribal's has significant impact on health and wellness. The awareness imports the change in health seeking behaviours and may control the overwhelmed risk of illness and other life issues. It's a need of the hour to educate tribals on healthy ways for care of premature baby care with humanised way.