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area say that the baby is possessed by some evil spirit
and they call a maulvi for dam” (FGD-Marmandi Azim,
Lakki Marwat).
“if the baby is not breathing well s/he is taken to a
maulvi who heats up a rod and touches it on her/
his head and takes 50 rupees” (FGD- Utman Zai,
Charsadda).
These practices are tried for sometime and if the newborn
doesn’t cry then s/he is taken to a doctor in most areas.
In all FGDs mothers said that it is the dai and elder
women who checks breathing of the newborn. Most of the
participants related absence of cry with absence of breathing
and said that if a baby does not cry it is an indicator of
newborn not breathing. One dai (in Sukkur) said that she
recognizes normal breathing by the color of the newborn. If
s/he is blue this means that s/he is not breathing.
LHWs said that the newborn should breathe 60 times in
one minute and more or less than that can be dangerous
(Jhelum). One LHW (Jhelum) said that practice of
patting the newborn by holding him/her upside down is
a dangerous practice and daiyan shouldn’t do it. She said
that the baby should only be turned around on the hand,
wrapped and taken to a doctor who can give oxygen.
In most areas, all participants reported that if the newborn
doesn’t cry by taking the above measures then s/he is taken
to a doctor immediately.
4.3 Terminologies for the newborn turning blue
Lack of breathing or inadequate breathing leads to deficient
oxygen in the body tissues (hypoxia) and the baby turns
blue during or after birth.
If a baby turns blue s/he is called:
Sob Masoney, Neel Masoney, Hazan Masoney and
Kharon Masoney (Khuzdar).
Shinsho, shindai, shantar and parchawan (Pishin).
Saramakha (Charsadda).
Hasba, Hasba Shrishna (Haripur).
Balla, daiy bandy balla raghllyday, mashoom sarawaqia
da, tormakha, marjai (Lakki Marwat).
‘Neela’ and ‘Kala-Neela’ (these are literal equivalents of ‘blue’
and ‘black-blue’). ‘Neela-Tanawal” is another term reported
by the participants. The other two terms used for same
symptoms are ‘Balawi or Bal Balawi’ and ‘parchanwa’ (DG
Khan).
Mali chandri ho gai hai, mali hai, badi hai, chan bla,
chamla, saey wala bacha, parchai (Jhelum).
Sheemak (Dadu).
Karikamat and Lagat (Sukkur).
Various reasons were given for newborn
turning blue. Also, management according to the cause
was also reported.
Most mothers did not know why a newborn turns blue.
However, some mothers gave different reasons:
• newborn turns blue if s/he gets cold and is then kept
warm by wrapping in blanket and or heating up the
room (Pishin, DG Khan, Jhelum, Sukkur), also mother is
given hot foods (DG Khan).
• given decadron (steroid) injection (Khuzdar),
• It can also be a result of pneumonia and convulsions at
birth. The newborn is then wrapped in warm clothes.
• Reason for blue baby is a disease that s/he has caught
in mother’s womb or the placenta’s water goes in the
mouth of the fetus (Charsadda, Haripur, Sukkur).
• Mothers from Sukkur mentioned that a blue baby is
considered to be blue because of jaundice and is given
Cecon (vit C) medicine for 40 days. A blue-baby is also
laid in sunlight till s/he gets better.
• It happens because of prolong labour (Khuzdar,
Haripur). In Haripur, taken to a doctor.
• Newborn is born blue if a mother does excessive work
and picks heavy things during pregnancy, if mother
suffers from blood deficiency and has taken improper
diet, if mother had fallen during pregnancy and baby has
acquired some injury as a result, or if the mother had
suffered from stomach aches during pregnancy (Pishin);
if mother had eaten sour things (Haripur).
• It happens if the cord is cracked (Haripur).
• Mothers also related blue-baby with evil
spirits/evil-eye and reported to seek only
faith healing as a treatment (Khuzdar, Pishin,
Lakki Marwat, DG Khan, Jhelum, Sukkur).
“We believe that the newborn is in the possession of
evil spirits if s/he is born blue. The baby is taken to the
mulla and s/he is given taweez and dam. The baby
recovers. If s/he doesn’t recover then we leave the
matter as it is” (FGD- Batezai, Pishin).
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