Mridula Bandyopadhyay
Impact of ritual pollution on lactation and breastfeeding practices in rural West Bengal, India
La Trobe University
breastfeeding india universal prolonged several cultural practices associated lactation breastfeeding india mainly revolving around concept ritual purity hot cold foods food avoidance restricted diet childbirth remaining seclusion certain time period polluting effects childbirth study breastfeeding practices explored concept ritual pollution influenced practices delivery including lactation breastfeeding study conducted four villages west bengal state india representing different levels socioeconomic development religion castetribe september 1993 april 1994 one hundred households one woman respondent household selected village qualitative quantitative methods employed data collection survey questionnaire administered 402 respondents indepth interviews conducted 30 women reproductive age group 1349 years 12 case studies documented women belonging different caste religious tribal groups belief impurity polluting effects childbirth necessitated seclusion confinement mothers childbirth study villages breastfeeding universal prolonged food proscriptions followed mothers childbirth protect health newborn initiation breastfeeding delayed birth belief mothers milk ready twotothree days postpartum generally colostrum discarded putting infant breast study villages breastfeeding lasted five years majority women sample introduced supplementary food six months infants study villages given prelacteal feed immediately birth small number women 35 exclusively breastfed giving prelacteal feed six months study villages cultural traditional practices considerable implications lactation breastfeeding overall wellbeing health mothers infants breastfeeding programs take account traditional beliefs concepts communicating families practices food restriction food avoidance