Muslim Cultural Influences on Newborn Care

Ritual Welcoming

• During labor and delivery, Muslim parents may prefer silence in the room. In some cases the husband or a family member may read from the Quran or play a recording of verses. Praying or reading from the Quran brings comfort to both the mother and newborn baby. Additionally, the Boston University School of Medicine notes that it is customary to allow the first words the baby hears to be the "adhan" -- the call to prayer. This is usually done by the baby's father or an elder male relative, who whispers the call to prayer in the baby's right ear so that first word he hears is "God."

Home Customs

• Several customs in Muslim culture may be practiced once the baby is taken home. According to the Boston University School of Medicine, "Tahneek" is the introduction of taste with food that the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have placed in high regard. An elderly family member or a respected community member rubs a small piece of softened date or a drop of honey onto the baby's tongue or upper palate. The baby is not fed the food; it is removed after the ritual. This custom is also done in the hope that the good qualities of the person performing it are imparted to the newborn. Some Muslim cultures place great emphasis on protecting a child from "black magic" and the "evil eye." They may tie a tiny pouch that contains a piece of paper with Quranic verses or words, called a "taweez," around the baby's neck or wrist. This practice is most common in Southeast Asia, but is done in varying ways throughout Muslim cultures.

Male Circumcision

• Muslim tradition holds that boys are circumcised by removing the foreskin. This practice is thought to hark back to the time of Abraham. It is usually performed within a few days or weeks of birth, although some Muslim cultures wait up to the age of 7 years. Muslims believe that male circumcision is part of purity, because it is easy to keep the penis clean if urine does not get trapped under the foreskin. BBC Religion notes that unlike the Jewish circumcision ritual "mohel," Muslim newborn babies are circumcised at the hospital or in a clinic. A medical professional must do the circumcision and he is not required to be an imam or spiritual leader, or even be a Muslim. According to the Muslim Women's League, female circumcision is unheard of in most Muslim cultures and is considered to be a practice that stems from pre-Islamic beliefs in some parts of Africa.

Ceremonial Charity

• Muslim tradition instructs that all newborns have their heads shaved shortly after birth. This is to signify the child's pure state at birth. The parents or grandparents of the baby will carefully shave the baby's hair, collecting it in a small bundle. In some cases the hair may be weighed and an equivalent value of gold or silver is given to charity as gratitude for the newborn. Beliefnet.com notes that a Muslim family may also hold an "agigah" celebration, in which a sheep or goat is slaughtered to feed the guests and distributed to friends and family members. This usually happens a week or a month after the baby is born. In many Muslim cultures, such as in Pakistan, families will also distribute sweets along with the birth announcement.

Breastfeeding

• Breastfeeding is an important part of Muslim culture because it is considered healthy for both the mother and infant. Breast milk is known to contain important nutrients and infection-fighting antibiotics. Islamic traditions encourage mothers to breastfeed babies for up to 2 years and this is mentioned in the Quran. The Islamic Society of British Columbia notes that breastfeeding is considered to be so important that even if a woman is divorced, the father of the child is required to pay her full maintenance until she weans the child. If the mother is unable to breastfeed, some Muslim cultures employ wet nurses to feed the baby, although this practice is not common today and commercial baby formula is used instead.