Warming the postpartum body as a form of postnatal care: An ethnographic study of medical injections and traditional health practices in Cambodia

Abstract

Postpartum care is a critical element for ensuring survival and health of mothers and newborns but is often inadequate in low-and middle-income countries due to barriers to access and resource constraints. Newly delivered mothers and their families often rely on traditional forms of postnatal care rooted in social and cultural customs or may blend modern and traditional forms of care. This ethnographic study sought to explore use of biomedical and traditional forms of postnatal care. Data were collected through unstructured observation and indepth interviews with 15 mothers. Participants reported embracing traditional understandings of health and illness in the post-partum period centered on heating the body through diet, steaming, and other applications of heat, yet also seeking injections from private health care providers. Thematic analysis explored concepts related to transitioning forms of postnatal care, valuing of care through different lenses, and diverse sources of advice on postnatal care. Mothers also described concurrent use of both traditional medicine and biomedical postnatal care, and the importance of adhering to cultural traditions of postnatal care for future health. Maternal and newborn health are closely associated with postnatal care, so ensuring culturally appropriate and high-quality care must be an important priority for stakeholders including understand health practices that are evolving to include injections.

Association between place of birth and timely breastfeeding initiation among Cambodian women: a population-based study

“…Rural women giving birth at home were less likely to timely initiate breastfeeding than urban women giving birth at home. This may be due to education or local community practices and beliefs [ 34 ], and family influences, as many women reported their mother or sisters were their main sources of breastfeeding advice at home [ 35 ]. In contrast, there was no significant association among urban women giving birth at home and timely initiation.…”

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“…Los profesionales de la salud deben prestar especial atención a las mujeres primíparas, de mayor edad y menos educadas de las zonas rurales, que les permitan reforzar las prácticas culturales positivas y disuadirlas de utilizar las nocivas proporcionando explicaciones científicas no críticas (Zeyneloğlu, & Kısa, 2018). Sin embargo, el asesoramiento y la educación sobre las prácticas de atención materna y los programas educativos deben incluir no solo a las mujeres, sino también a los esposos, padres y suegros (Bazzano, Stolow, Duggal, Oberhelman, &Var, 2020).…”

“…Según, Peña (2018), los cuidados populares que realizan las nativas para recuperar o restaurar su salud en el puerperio, son los remedios caseros aprendidos de sus antepasados que van desde los baños hasta las dietas y, por otro lado, se encuentra la consulta que hacen a la medicina tradicional y occidental para mantener la vida. Bazzano, Stolow, Duggal, Oberhelman, & Var (2020), establecen que en Cambodia los cuidados posparto se centran en calentar el cuerpo a través de la dieta, la cocción al vapor y otras aplicaciones de calor. Además, usan bloques de hielo o las piedras calientes (utilizados individualmente, no en combinación) aplicados en el abdomen para aliviar los dolores de estómago.…”

Restricting diet for perceived health benefit: A mixed‐methods exploration of peripartum food taboos in rural Cambodia

“…Despite this, traditional practices such as ang pleung , or ‘mother roasting’, where postpartum women lie on a bed set over a fire for 3–7 days to restore the hot/cold balance (White, 2004 ), still exist. Ang pleung is discouraged by the Cambodian Ministry of Health ( 2012 ) due to the potential health consequences of this ritual (Bazzano et al, 2020 ), such as delayed breastfeeding initiation (White, 2004 ; Wren & Chambers, 2011 ). Nevertheless, ang pleung continues to be practiced, particularly in rural areas (Montesanti, 2011 ).…”