Aim: Poor maternal health sometimes can be a consequence of practicing different myths during puerperium.
This cross-sectional study describes the practice of different myths regarding diet among Saudi women.
Material and Methods: The study comprised women attending the postnatal clinic at the Mother and Child
Hospital in Buraidah from January to December 2011.
Results: Almost 65.9% of women were using a combination of herbs such as ginger (zingiber officinale), hilba
(fenugreek) and black seeds (nigella sativa). The multinomial logistic regression of herbs on age, education,
c2
=
<
occupation, parity and mode of delivery was statistically significant (
[48]
214.645, P
0.001). Hilba was
more commonly used by women with instrumental delivery. It was common for women to avoid different
fruits and vegetables (33.89%). Eggs were avoided by 16.5% of women and 11% avoided cold drinks. The
multinomial logistic regression of diet on age, education, occupation, parity and mode of delivery was
(c2
=
<
statistically significant
[72]
389.861, P
0.001). Individuals below college level education were more likely
to avoid fruits, vegetables and cold drinks in their diet.