Table 1 Local practices and potential benefits and harms to the newborn
Practice | Potential benefit | Potential harm |
|---|---|---|
Wrapping newborns in heavy clothing and applying a hat | Thermal care | Unknown (rashes; hyperthermia) |
Immediate bathing | Reduced risk of blood contamination if mother is HIV-infected | Reduced protection from vernix; higher risk of hypothermia |
Delayed bathing for preterm infants | Benefit of vernix; reduced risk of hypothermia | |
Nighttime bathing in cold water | Increased risk of hypothermia, pneumonia | |
Substances applied to skin | Potential benefit of newborn massage with baby lotion, petroleum jelly | Unknown effect of use of “cooking” oil (higher potential risk with recycled oil); skin infection e.g. bullous impetigo (possibly from application of contaminated substances such as petroleum jelly from a communal jar) |
Application of breast milk to umbilical stump | Unknown effect of breast milk application to stump | Potential risk of HIV transmission if mother is HIV-infected |
Application of powders to umbilical stump | High risk of neonatal infection | |
Protection of fontanel | Protects newborn skull; caregiver sensitivity to sunken fontanel (symptom of dehydration) | |
Heated cloth for weak joints | Potential benefit for thermal care and massage | |
Variety of cord cutting practices | Use of new razor blades reduces risk of infection | Increased risk of infection from old razor blades |
Delayed cord cutting if mother is HIV infected | Potential benefit of additional iron to newborn | |
Avoidance of cord blood if mother is HIV infected | Delayed cord clamping; reduced risk of HIV transmission to newborn | |
Prone sleep position | Increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) | |
Retained vernix for preterm or low birth weight infants | Benefit of thermal care and antibacterial benefit | |
Wrapping preterm/low birth weight infants in mabono leaves | Potential benefit of thermal care | Unknown effect of leaves on skin, especially if old or reused leaves |