Traditional care practices known and/or used by different ethnic groups for newborns during the postpartum period

Traditional care practices play a significant role in shaping care provided to newborns across different ethnic groups. Understanding traditional care practices is crucial for integrating culturally sensitive approaches into modern healthcare systems. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature regarding the different traditional care practices across ethnic groups. The aim of this study was to determine the traditional beliefs and practices of women from different ethnic groups living in Mardin regarding newborn care.

This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of women from four ethnic groups who volunteered to participate in the study with at least one child living in Mardin, Turkey. Snowball and convenience sampling methods were used to recruit participants. The study was completed with 188 Assyrian, 197 Turkish, 181 Arab, and 175 Kurdish women. In total, 741 women participated in this study. Data were collected between 18 December 2023 and 14 June 2024. The data were collected face-to-face using a questionnaire. The data were analysed using SPSS for Windows 22.0.

This study identified significant differences in traditional care practices across four ethnic groups (Assyrian, Turkish, Arab, and Kurdish). Traditional care practices regarding umbilical cord care, swaddling the baby, alleviating gas pain, preventing neonatal jaundice, care for canker sores, and alleviating diaper rash were identified. Assyrian participants were more likely to apply salt to the umbilical cord (14.9%), while Arab participants rarely used this practice (0.6%). Traditional practices for relieving gas pain included drinking herbal teas such as anise, fennel, linden, and cumin. Rubbing and rubbing breast milk on the abdomen, patting on the back, and massaging were other practices for alleviating gas pain. Arab participants were more likely to use anise tea to alleviate gas pain (75.1%), while Kurdish participants preferred fennel tea (22.3%). Practices regarding alleviating diaper rash included applying saturated fat, olive oil, and powder. Arab participants were more likely to apply olive oil for diaper rash (45.9%), while Assyrian participants commonly used dry earth ('Höllük'). These results highlight the cultural diversity in newborn care practices and underscore the importance of culturally sensitive healthcare interventions.

This study highlighted the significance of traditional care practices in newborn care across four ethnic groups. There are many differences between ethnic groups regarding traditional care practices during the postpartum period. Understanding such differences is crucial for developing culturally sensitive interventions that support maternal well-being and enhance health outcomes for both mothers and infants.