Harmful Traditional Practices Adversely Affecting Child Health in Aligarh

Abstract

This study is based on the practical field experiences and observations related to infant health in the community. Harmful traditional practices prove to be bottlenecks and create numerous hurdles in achieving the goal of reduction in infant mortality rate. These practices need to be eradicated from the community to improve the health standard of the state and in turn the country. Lives of children may be saved by counselling their parents and other family members. Some of the prevalent practices among the community are discrimination between male and female child; first bath immediately after birth; keeping babies for few days without any clothing; cutting the umbilical cord with khurpa, hasiya, piece of pot or glass; keeping sharp objects close to the newborn like knife, blade, etc.; burning smoke near the newborn; confinement of mother and child for a few days; applying kajal in the eyes of the infant; keeping shoes with the newborn; avoiding vaccination; throwing away of colostrum – the first milk; reluctance in adopting exclusive breastfeeding; and feeding with pre-lacteals, e.g., ghutti, pehuwa and honey These practices adversely affect the health of infants. Often it was observed that in case of illness, some Ojha was being consulted rather than a qualified medical practitioner. The images provided in this study present the suffering of the children due to these malpractices.