Traditional Health Care Practices and Cord Care - A Review

Abstract

 A wide variety of traditional health care practices associated with child health care and cord care are prevalent. Traditional health care practices can be broadly categorized into three subgroups: useful, harmful and harmless. The harmful practices should be identified and should be eliminated or replaced with safer alternatives. Few of the practices are beneficial, safe and should be encouraged. Also, few practices are harmless and there seems no harm in continuing them. Ayurveda has dealt with newborn care Jatmatra paricharya and Nabhinal kartan is a part of it. Many of the newborn care practices mentioned in Ayurveda are beneficial and safe. There is an urgent need to systematically study the utility, futility and possible dangers of a large number of traditional health care practices.