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A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
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Published on: January 12, 2018

Beliefs and rituals in traditional birth attendant practice in Guatemala

Linda V Walsh1

  • 1University of San Francisco, USA.

Journal of Transcultural Nursing : Official Journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society
|April 6, 2006
PubMed

Childbearing women and infants in developing countries continue to experience unacceptably high rates of mortality and morbidity in spite of targeted initiatives to address the problem. The aim of this study was to identify the beliefs and rituals of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in one indigenous Guatemalan community to better understand the cultural influences on perinatal care practices. Ethnographic methods were used to increase understanding of the practice of 10 Mayan TBAs. Three themes were constructed: sacred calling, sacred knowledge and sacred ritual.

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