Traditional beliefs and cultural practices in newborn care among mothers in central India: Boon or bane?

Background: Cultural practices and beliefs vary with respect to language, religion, food habits, dress, and economic conditions. In India, they play an important role in health-seeking behavior when it comes to newborn care. There is a paucity of data on traditional beliefs and cultural practices related to newborn care from central India. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to analyze the relation between traditional care practices and the incidence of neonatal sepsis. The primary objective was to identify the common traditional beliefs and cultural practices in newborn care among mothers, and the secondary objective was to study the correlation of neonatal care practices with neonatal sepsis. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 80 mothers of sick newborns admitted in the hospital with suspected sepsis, after at least 24 h of homestay. The study was approved by the Institute Ethical Committee [IEC No. IEC/2023/6483]. Results: The incidence of neonatal septicemia during the study was 55 (68.75%), out of 80 newborns screened. The application of cultural practices was found more in the “babies with sepsis” group compared to “babies without sepsis” group. The duration of treatment with intravenous antibiotics for more than 10 days was seen in >70% of babies with certain practices. Similarly, the incidence of meningitis was more in babies in whom traditional care practices were done. Conclusion: Our study shows an overwhelming connection between traditional neonatal care practices and neonatal sepsis, with majority of newborns in whom the traditional customs were applied showing neonatal sepsis.