The Rights of Unborn and Newborn Babies in Jordanian Arab Culture: Implications for Practice

Abstract

Background: Traditional patterns relating to how to handle the provision of culturally competent care for refugees are often challenging. Addressing the unique religious and cultural beliefs and norms of refugee parents during the childbirth process will alleviate their anxiety and feelings of alienation with respect to healthcare systems. Objectives: This paper aims to understand the meaning of Jordanian women’s beliefs and practices related to their foetuses and newborns and to facilitate the recognition by Western healthcare providers of these practices among immigrants and refugees. Methods: An interpretive phenomenological study was used to conduct an individual in-depth semi-structured interview with nine women. Results: Eight superordinate themes were identified: couple in legitimate relationship before conception, rejection of abortion, accepting the gender of the baby, guaranteeing that ‘Allah’ is the first word heard, rubbing the newborn’s palate with a date, choosing a meaningful name, ensuring circumcision for boys and showing gratitude to Allah. Conclusion: The attitudes of Jordanian women towards newborns’ rights and care are greatly influenced by their cultural and religious backgrounds. Capturing these attitudes and needs can inform the development of health education strategies and information resources. To enhance Muslim women’s engagement in maternal newborn health services, maternity staff should endeavour to create a trusting relationship with the childbearing women, which values their social, cultural and spiritual needs.