A comparison of traditional practices used in pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period among women in Turkey and Iran

Objective: to examine and compare women's traditional practices regarding pregnancy, tabour and the postpartum period. Design: descriptive and comparative field research. Setting: face-to-face interviews with women at home in Turkey and Iran. Participants: 300 women over 15 years of age from rural areas of Turkey (n = 150) and Iran (n = 150). Finding: Turkey and Iran, two Middle Eastern countries, generally have similar traditional practices. It is surprising that some traditional practices are still used, although, in both countries, a number of contemporary practices have replaced them. Although some of the traditional practices, such as consuming low/high caloric food and herb drinks, may be harmless, others, such as jumping from a high place and pressing on the abdomen, may be completely harmful. Iranian women use traditional practices to reduce engorgement of the breast, and Turkish women use traditional practices to increase the amount of breast milk. Although traditional practices are less commonly used to reduce vaginal bleeding in both countries, they pose danger to the health of both mother and baby. Conclusions: various traditional practices about pregnancy, tabour and the postpartum period take place in these two countries. Health professionals should be aware that pregnant women sometimes act on questionable advice concerning traditional practices. (C) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.