Hello Everyone!
So we will be sharing some myths we have heard and superstitious beliefs we are use to pertaining to child healthcare in Nigeria. As we know, in this part of the world, her in Africa,Nigeria to be precise we have some ‘laws’ or should say ‘practices’ unorthodox,funny and sometimes ridiculous with no basis and sometimes very DANGEROUS! Others can HARMLESS and some can be BENEFICIAL
I will be sharing few of these myths, in a view to correct some wrong practice and superstitions! You can send your feedback,questions,thoughts using the comment below or send an email to ask@askthepaediatricians.com
Dangerous Myths
- MYTHS: The believe that the cord on a new born must drop before the naming ceremony and applying toothpaste or ashes on it to forcefully remove it.
COMMENT: Like every wound in the body, the cord is also a wound. The way our wounds heals differs based on skin type, some 3 days, others longer like 10 days. Cord falling off shouldn’t be a perquisite for naming ceremony. Toothpaste and ashes are dangerous; they provide means of introducing infection to the newborn. - MYTHS: As a pregnant mother, when the other older child tags along with you and always lays close to your tummy. He/She will always be ill.
COMMENTS: False & Dangerous - MYTHS: Putting breast milk in your baby eye when is redish or bringing pus.
COMMENT: Dangerous! PLEASE DO NOT PUT BREAST MILK IN THE EYES…..SEE A DOCTOR - MYTHS: giving a baby concoction agbo at early birth,
COMMENT: I go against all this but mother in law feel *you too know*. DANGEROUS….DO NOT DO IT!! - MYTHS: When my second baby came, I was told to bath the first one with dirty water used by the new baby to bath the first one, so that he will not disturb me and stop crying.
COMMENT: FALSE AND DANGEROUS…..DO NOT DO IT - MYTHS: The belief that if a crawling baby eats his/her poop unknowingly, the mother is suppose to taste from the poop also else something terrible would happen to the child
COMMENTS: DANGEROUS….RISK OF INFECTIONS BUT YOU AS A MUM TOO SHOULD NOT ALLOW THE BABY TO ALSO EAT POOP NOW!!! - MYTHS: That a pregnant woman should not eat grass cutter, because it causes prolong labor, and in a situation where a woman is having such a labor and it’s being confirmed that she ate grass cutter, the bones of the animal should be brought to her to the hospital
COMMENT: You need protein while pregnant and if grass cutter is the only source in your area please go ahead and eat - MYTHS: Pressing the breast of new born
COMMENT: Dangerous.… Please DON’T DO IT - MYTHS: That a woman who is pregnant must not eat fried plantain to avoid of oka ori in Yoruba.
COMMENT: OK this one is FUNNY! You need iron and other nutrients present in the plantain! - MYTHS: Putting spoon in d mouth of a convulsing child or onions and palm kernel oil (ude-aku)
COMMENT: Please Biko! I beg of you DON’T!…. Read more on the group discussion on convulsion in children - MYTHS: When you give birth to a baby, drop coconut water inside the baby’s mouth so that the child to prevent stomach pain. Is this true?
COMMENT: False and dangerous.
A mom should never allow her baby fall from her back. Otherwise, the child will only know bad luck.
So many others that I have forgotten
COMMENT: False, but good myth at least for prevention of head injury not necessarily the bad luck part
We will stop here for now, be sure to check back for more updates!
Don’t join the bandwagon, Information is light, keep your kids safe an healthy!