ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2007
Traditional beliefs and practices in the postpartum period in Fujian Province, China: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Maternal postnatal confinement practices and postpartum depression in Chinese populations: A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Infant Feeding Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge and Practices of Chinese Immigrant Mothers: An Integrative Review of the Literature.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2017Pooled it
- Systematic review of breastfeeding and herbs.Breastfeeding medicine : the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine · 2012Pooled it
- Assessing the effectiveness of mindfulness-based programs on mental health during pregnancy and early motherhood - a randomized control trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2019Trial
- Effectiveness of a diabetes prevention program for rural women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus: study protocol of a multi-site randomized clinical trial.BMC public health · 2018Trial
- Comparison of text messaging data collection vs face-to-face interviews for public health surveys: a cluster randomized crossover study of care-seeking for childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea in rural China.Journal of global health · 2018Trial
- Efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine Zengru Gao to promote breastfeeding: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2018Trial
- Factors influencing the utilization of postpartum visits among rural women in China.Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Medical sciences = Hua zhong ke ji da xue xue bao. Yi xue Ying De wen ban = Huazhong keji daxue xuebao. Yixue Yingdewen ban · 2014Trial
- Diet and lifestyle interventions in postpartum women in China: study design and rationale of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2010Trial
- Article
- Impact of educational workshops on breastfeeding practices in traditional Chinese postpartum centres: a cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic.International breastfeeding journal · 2026Article
- Psychometric development and validation of the paternal breastfeeding support scale in Chinese mothers: a methodological cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Practice and perceptions of postpartum care in Brunei Darussalam indigenous communities: a cross-sectional study.Anthropological science : journal of the Anthropological Society of Nippon = Jinruigaku zasshi · 2026Article
- Socio-cultural barriers to physical activity participation among urban, educated postpartum women in Wuhan, China: a qualitative study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Psychosocial correlates of venous thromboembolism-preventive practices among pregnant and postpartum women in China: a cross-sectional structural equation modeling study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Women's Perceptions on Newborn Care Practices, Knowledge Sources, Benefits, and Challenges in Rural Northern Jordan: A Qualitative Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Exploring postpartum women's experiences, perspectives, and expectations in maternal health care at a Chinese maternity care center: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Exploring cultural influences in perinatal and early childhood nutrition.Revista de salud publica (Bogota, Colombia) · 2024Review
- What matters to migrant women during labor and birth: Chinese mothers' experiences in Switzerland.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Dietary Intakes of Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Prospective Observational Study.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2024Article
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundZuo yuezi is the month postpartum in China associated with a variety of traditional beliefs and practices. We explored the current status of zuo yuezi from social, cultural and western medical perspectives.
methodsWe interviewed family members (36) and health workers (8) in Fujian Province, selecting one rural and one rapidly developing urban county. We asked about their traditional beliefs and their behaviour postpartum. We used a framework approach to identify main themes. We categorised reported behaviour against their probable effects on health, drawing on Western standards.
resultsRespondents reported that zuo yuezi was commonly practiced in urban and rural families to help the mother regain her strength and protect her future health. Zuo yuezi included: dietary precautions, such as eating more food and avoiding cold food; behavioural precautions, such as staying inside the home, avoiding housework and limiting visitors; hygiene precautions, such as restricting bathing and dental hygiene; and practices associated with infant feeding, including supplementary feeding and giving honeysuckle herb to the infant. Respondents reported that the main reasons for adhering to these practices were respect for tradition, and following the advice of elders. Categorised against Western medical standards, several zuo yuezi practices are beneficial, including eating more, eating protein rich food, avoiding housework, and daily vulval and perineal hygiene. A few are potentially harmful, including giving honeysuckle herb, and avoiding dental hygiene. Some women reported giving infants supplementary feeds, although zuo yuezi emphasises breast feeding.
conclusionZuo yuezi is an important ritual in Fujian. In medical terms, most practices are beneficial, and could be used by health staff to promote health in this period. Further research on reported potentially harmful practices, such as supplements to breast feeding, is needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.