Socio-cultural Importance of Newborn Healthcare Practices of Parengi Porja Tribe Living in Hilly Forested Areas of Andhra Pradesh, India: An Anthropological Analysis
The study aims to understand the traditional healthcare management of the newborns of the Parengi Porja tribe. The Parengi Porja tribe is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) that inhabits the Eastern Ghats, which is a continuous high hilly region of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The members of this tribe strongly believe that the earliest weeks of a newborn’s life is the time for the greatest probability of death and disability. To avoid these misfortunes, they strictly follow the traditional healthcare regimen for newborns, which has significant socio-cultural importance. For this study, 105 neonates were purposively selected, and their mothers were interviewed for data collection. The research data were analysed by qualitative methods that included participant observation, in-depth interviews and focus group discussion. The collected data were repeatedly cross-checked with other elderly female members like grandmothers, and sutranimaizi (traditional birth attendant [TBA]) through interviews to strengthen the efficiency and authenticity of the data. The findings of the study show that this tribal population has its understanding of the management of neonatal health, which is socio-culturally ingrained, sanctioned and transmitted through generations.