Neonatal septicemia continues to be a major cause of mortality and morbidity among neonates around the world(1). Late onset septicemia in the community is often associated with locally prevalent cultural practices.

We evaluated the association of cultural practices in fifty consecutively admitted newborns with onset of sepsis after 7 days and weight >1500 g.

In 70% of these newborns some form of the cultural practices was present. Prelacteal feeds (honey, ajwain water, etc.) were noted in 40%, head shaving in 34%, not washing neonatal clothes in 11.42%, providing non-human milk in 5.7%. Other cultural practices included nose-piercing, application of cow-dung on umbilicus and kajal application in eyes (1 each). In most cases of head shaving, the instrument used was not sterile. While some of these have definite association with sepsis, the others are innocuous. We believe that efforts must continue to educate communities to give up potentially dangerous cultural practices in newborn care.

Avyact Agrawal,
Ashish K. Gupta,
Department of Pediatrics,
NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur,
Madhya Pradesh, India.
Correspondence:
Dr. Ashish K. Gupta,
1420, Kamini Kunj,
Napier Town, Jabalpur 492 002,
Madhya Pradesh, India.
E-mail: [email protected]