Customary Newborn Care Practices in Nigeria Explained
In Nigeria, newborn care is steeped in rich cultural practices that go beyond the physical aspects of nurturing a new life. These traditions, passed down through generations, encompass postpartum care, traditional birth attendants, newborn massage, naming ceremonies, and more.
Omugwo: Postpartum Care
One of the most significant traditions is Omugwo, an Igbo practice where the new mother's own mother or a female elder stays with the daughter and newborn immediately after birth. This elder provides intensive care, helping with childcare, bathing, feeding, and general nurturing. By offering this support system, the new mother is ensured a well-rested period, while being educated on infant care and emotionally bonding with the newborn [3].
Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Herbal Remedies
In many rural Nigerian communities, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) assist with delivery at home and provide newborn care. These TBAs use indigenous herbs like Janyaro (Guinea corn leaf) and Ganyen Maje (Neem leaf) to aid labor and promote recovery. Their personalized, culturally familiar care, provided with privacy and compassion, enhances the mother’s and infant’s comfort and resilience during the vulnerable postnatal period [1].
Newborn Massage
A customary practice, newborn massage involves gentle rubbing and pressing of the baby’s body to promote circulation, relaxation, and muscle development. This physical touch strengthens infant-mother bonds and supports physical growth and emotional regulation [2][5].
Yoruba Naming Ceremony
The Yoruba Naming Ceremony, which occurs on the eighth day after birth, is an important ritual that embeds the child within the family and community, fostering a sense of identity and belonging. The ceremony often includes prayers and blessings for health and prosperity, contributing to psychological well-being [2].
These traditions integrate physical care, emotional support, social inclusion, and cultural meaning into newborn care. They contribute to infant well-being by ensuring hygiene, promoting healthy development through massage, supporting maternal recovery and education, and creating strong family and community bonds that nurture the infant’s holistic growth.
Embracing Tradition and Modernity
While modern healthcare is increasingly accessed, these cultural practices remain valued for their personalized, compassionate approach and their role in preserving cultural heritage and community cohesion around childbirth and early infancy in Nigeria.
Other practices, such as baby-wearing, the evil eye protection, traditional clothing, breastfeeding, and weaning, further illustrate the unique approach to newborn care in Nigerian culture. As modernization and globalization continue to influence these traditions, a balance between cultural heritage and progress in child-rearing is being sought, ensuring these valuable practices continue to thrive.
- Postpartum care in the form of Omugwo, a tradition followed by Igbo women, ensures the new mother receives emotional support, education on infant care, and well-deserved rest, promoting bonding with the newborn.
- Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in many rural Nigerian communities facilitate deliveries and provide postnatal care, employing indigenous herbs like Guinea corn leaf and Neem leaf to aid labor and recovery.
- Newborn massage, a common practice in Nigeria, strengthens the infant-mother bond, promotes circulation, relaxation, and muscle development.
- The Yoruba Naming Ceremony, held eight days after birth, embeds the child within the family and community, fostering a feelings of identity and belonging, and contributing to psychological well-being.
- The integration of these cultural practices with hygiene, massage, maternal education, and family bonding significantly enhance the overall well-being of infants and enrich their holistic growth.
- As modern healthcare becomes more accessible in Nigeria, these cherished cultural practices are still valued for their personalized, compassionate approach, and their role in preserving cultural heritage and community unity during childbirth and early infancy.
- Embracing a harmonious blend of preserving cultural traditions and modern progress, parents in Nigeria seek to maintain valuable practices like baby-wearing, evil eye protection, traditional clothing, breastfeeding, weaning, health-and-wellness strategies, and a lifestyle that emphasizes the importance of education and safety within the family.
