Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Lira University, P.O Box 1035, Lira, Uganda.
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023 Apr 3;23(1):222. doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05550-4.
Perinatal death has profound psychosocial effects on women and their families. Sociocultural contexts influence the burden, rituals and bereaved's support. Little is known about cultural beliefs and practices related to perinatal death. This study explored the cultural perspectives of the Lango community on perinatal death.
This study utilised a focused ethnographic design anchored on a symbolic interactionist framework to understand the meanings attached to beliefs and practices on stillbirth or neonatal death among the Lango community in Lira District, Northern Uganda. Participants were sampled purposively for FGD while key informants were identified through snowballing technique. Data were audio recorded in Lango, transcribed, and later translated, a codebook was developed and data entered into Atlas. ti version 8.4.26 and then coded. It was analysed both deductively and inductively into themes.
Stillbirth and early neonatal death both attract similar rituals as would an older child. Burial is not rushed and is attended by family members and close friends. Stillbirths and children that die before naming are buried without names. Bereaved families are comforted and encouraged about future pregnancies. Currently, Lango associates the deaths to biomedical explanations such as teenage pregnancies, inadequate pregnancy care, health system challenges and poor health-seeking behaviour, unlike previously when they were attributed to consequences of unacceptable social behaviours, superstitious beliefs and witchcraft. Antenatal care and health facility childbirths are currently preferred over traditional practices for good pregnancy outcomes.
Stillbirth or early neonatal death is viewed as the death of a child, different from other settings. Thus, rituals are performed to honour, create memory, and maintain the connection with deceased babies. Bereaved parents are supported. Health care workers need to provide culturally sensitive support to parents after perinatal loss. The prevailing beliefs of perinatal death cause in terms of biomedical explanations consistent with known determinants and preference for health facility care for prevention creates an opportunity for improving perinatal health.
围产期死亡对妇女及其家庭会产生深远的社会心理影响。社会文化背景会影响负担、仪式和丧亲者的支持。关于围产期死亡相关的文化信仰和习俗知之甚少。本研究探讨了兰戈社区对围产期死亡的文化观点。
本研究采用以符号互动主义框架为基础的聚焦民族志设计，以了解兰戈社区在北乌干达利拉区对死产或新生儿死亡的信仰和习俗的含义。参与者是通过焦点小组抽样的，而关键信息提供者是通过滚雪球技术确定的。数据以兰戈语录制，转录后，再翻译成简体中文，然后开发代码本并将数据输入到 Atlas.ti 版本 8.4.26 中进行编码。然后根据主题进行演绎和归纳分析。
死产和早期新生儿死亡都吸引了类似的仪式，就像年长的孩子一样。葬礼不会匆忙进行，会有家庭成员和亲密朋友参加。未命名的死产儿和在命名前死亡的婴儿会被埋葬，没有名字。丧亲家庭会得到安慰和鼓励，期待未来的怀孕。目前，兰戈人将这些死亡归因于生物医学解释，如青少年怀孕、怀孕护理不足、卫生系统挑战和不良的寻医行为，而不是以前归因于不可接受的社会行为、迷信信仰和巫术的后果。产前护理和医疗机构分娩现在比传统做法更受欢迎，以获得良好的妊娠结局。
死产或早期新生儿死亡被视为儿童死亡，与其他环境不同。因此，会举行仪式来表示尊重、创造记忆，并与已故婴儿保持联系。丧亲的父母会得到支持。医护人员需要为围产期丧失后的父母提供文化敏感的支持。目前，围产期死亡原因的普遍信念是生物医学解释，与已知的决定因素一致，以及对预防的医疗机构护理的偏好，为改善围产期健康创造了机会。
