Indigenous first feeding practices in newborn babies

Abstract

Objective: to describe the common practices in indigenous first feeding of the newborn babies in countries of the continents of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Methods: anthropological, medical and nursing publications were searched for indigenous customs and beliefs concerning the first feed given to newborn babies. Findings: from a nutritional point of view the first food is just symbolic but it has a function in either purifying and clearing the 'dirty' throat and bowel or to prepare the baby for adult life. Conclusions: the general withholding of colostrum should be abandoned and the indigenously strange custom of feeding water with sugar should be discouraged.