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Title Breastfeeding and popular aetiology in the Sahel
Full text http://hdl.handle.net/1885/41185
Date 1991
Author(s) Van de Walle, Etienne; Van de Walle, Francine
Abstract Two views about breastfeeding and the resumption of intercourse after a birth are found to prevail in Bamako and Bobo-Dioulasso, two cities of the Sahel region of Africa: that sexual relations may spoil the milk; and that a child should be weaned when the woman is pregnant again. Both beliefs provide a rationale to abstain, but the postpartum taboo has been greatly reduced in the area, and the second belief is the most important. 'Bad milk' serves as an explanation for many of the diarrhoeas and diseases of nutritional origin that affect infants and children. Traditional medical treatments of diarrhoea and protein calorie malnutrition are consistent with the popular aetiology. The acceptance of modern techniques of infant care in this area may well be predicated on the diffusion of an alternative model of disease causation. - no
Subject(s) Sahel; sub-Saharan Africa; breastfeeding; popular aetiology; spacing of births; disease causation; nutrition; mdcn-hlth; mdcn-pblc
Language en_AU
Publisher Health Transition Centre, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University
Type of publication ejournal
Format 40160 bytes; application/pdf
Rights yes
Identifier apr; 1; Health Transition Review; 1; 1991; 258
Repository Canberra - Australian National University
Added to C-A: 2008-12-22;02:00:28