The postnatal period – defined here as the first six (6) weeks after birth – is critical to the health and survival of a mother and her newborn. The most vulnerable time for both is during the hours and days after birth.
Lack of care in this time period may result in death or disability as well as missed opportunities to promote healthy behaviours, affecting women, newborns and children.
Since last century, traditional medicine has been playing a major role in providing healthcare to mankind. Traditional and complementary medicine is getting more popular in our community for the purpose of healing diseases and healthcare.
One of the aim in traditional postnatal care is to prevent postnatal depression or “gila meroyan” in Malay as this complication may arised in the postnatal period. The incidence of postnatal depression (gila meroyan) is low in Malaysia estimated to be at 3.9% due to vast majority of Malaysian women still observed the traditional postnatal beliefs and practices.
The Ministry of Health, Malaysia is promoting a continuum of care which integrates traditional medicine and modern medicine for the purpose of maternal well-being.
Objectives:
- To promote Malay postnatal care
- To ensure appropriate care for postnatal mothers
- To educate and disseminate information about Malay postnatal care
- To provide safe practices and discourage harmful traditional practices
- To detect any postnatal complications that need medical intervention.
