A Vietnam–Sweden research project shows that cultural beliefs play a big role in when babies are born in Vietnam, according to research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
The goal is to better understand how culture affects healthcare and improve safety for mothers and babies.
PhD researcher Toàn Khac Nguyen found that many parents avoid giving birth on days seen as “unlucky” in the lunar calendar. As a result, planned births are often moved to other days.
As a result, planned births – especially C-sections, a surgical way of delivering a baby – are often moved to more “lucky” dates.
Pressure on hospital staff
This creates quiet days at hospitals followed by very busy ones, putting pressure on staff.
“In fact, overcrowding was nearly seven times more likely on non-inauspicious days,” Toàn Khac Nguyen said.
The study also compares Vietnam’s doctor-led system, where planned births are more common, with Sweden’s midwife-led approach, where births are more often natural.
The goal is to improve safety for both mothers and newborns.
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