Conceptualizing Prenatal Care: Recent Research and the Application of Tae-Kyo, Korean Traditional Beliefs and Practices

Abstract

The value of prenatal care has long been recognized by various cultures. The author's purpose in this article is to propose a framework to conceptualize prenatal care using the traditional Korean practice of prenatal care called Tae-Kyo, which means education for the fetus. The philosophy of Tae-Kyo shows the importance of children's development from the very beginning of life and indicates the moral and social responsibilities of pregnant women, family members, and communities in delivering healthy babies. This comprehensive view implies a framework for conceptualizing prenatal care that encompasses multidimensional aspects of prenatal care.

The pregnancy experience of Korean mothers with a prenatal fetal diagnosis of congenital heart disease

“…Korean culture typically counts the baby’s time spent in utero and the baby becomes 1 years-old at birth [ 18 ]. Such assumption of the fetus’s being is tied to the practice of encouraging early prenatal interactions with the fetus, referred to as TaeKyo , a traditional concept thought to contribute to fetal development by focusing the pregnant mother’s mind and behaviors throughout the pregnancy [ 19 ].…”

“…In addition to encouraging psychological and emotional preparations for becoming a mother, TaeKyo also has positive influence on maternal identity after childbirth [ 19 ]. TaeKyo reflects the responsibility of not only the expectant mother but also of the family and surrounding community [ 18 ], and can be a way to strengthen maternal-fetal attachment and self-efficacy in dealing with high risk pregnancy situations [ 24 ]. Healthcare professionals working with Korean mothers can encourage the cultural code of TaeKyo not only in its behavioral aspect aiming to maximize healthy fetal development, but also as a way to encourage development of a new view of the pregnancy as well as maternal identity.…”

Relation between Mother’s Taekyo, Prenatal and Postpartum Depression, and Infant’s Temperament and Colic: A Longitudinal Prospective Approach

“…Meanwhile, in Korea, practicing prenatal care for the fetus is called taekyo [ 21 ]. Taekyo , traditionally regarded as important in East Asia, including Korea [ 22 ], refers to the practices for pregnant women: to think positively and speak and act carefully from the early stages of pregnancy until childbirth to have a healthy baby and to have a good influence on the fetus [ 23 ].…”

Experiences of Prenatal Genetic Screening and Diagnostic Testing Among Pregnant Korean Women of Advanced Maternal Age

“…By contrast, this study revealed that the participants seemed to readily accept obstetricians’ recommendations for undergoing amniocentesis, and their spouses agreed to the wives’ decisions without objections. One explanation could be that the traditional Korean perspective toward prenatal care endorses a mother’s responsibility to deliver a healthy baby (Jeong, 2014; Y. Kim, 2015).…”