Role of cultural beliefs in influencing selected newborn care practices in rural Haryana

BACKGROUND: The role of prevalent culturally driven beliefs and practices in influencing home-based newborn care has not been adequately studied especially in North India. METHODS: The study was conducted in 28 villages under Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project (CRHSP) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). A total of 415 mothers who had a baby in the second month of life at the time of the visit for data collection were interviewed using pre-tested questionnaire. RESULTS: Nearly 77% of mothers reported some beliefs/practices with regard to care of the cord. Similarly 81.0% mothers had beliefs regarding taking the baby out of the house for the first time after birth. Out of all the mothers that were interviewed around 11% did not prefer their baby to be weighed at frequent intervals because according to them doing so could lead to slowing of the growth of the baby. CONCLUSION: Traditional knowledge and practices must be considered before developing neonatal health care intervention strategies.