Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period: Social well-being, culture and early infant attachments

Abstract

Objective

Although social factors and culture are significant determinants of health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, little is known academically about key interpersonal and social experiences of this population during the perinatal period, or how early attachments are formed through culture. This study addressed this gap in the literature.

Methods and measures

A reflexive thematic analysis approach was applied to the data gathered from focus groups (N = 14) held with Aboriginal (N = 7) and Torres Strait Islander (N = 7) mothers and their kinship systems.

Results

Five prominent interpersonal and social themes were identified: maternal-fetal attachment, infant-kinship attachment, caretaking roles/shared caregiving, traditional adoption, and ceremonies and rites of passage. Characteristics of maternal-fetal attachment were aligned with the construct in non-Indigenous literature. Post-utero, caretaking/shared caregiving roles such as ‘big mum/dad’ and ‘small mum/dad’ were identified. Ceremonies and rites of passage were understood to cement cultural roles within the kinship system, and the role of the maternal uncle was highlighted. A cultural obligation to help raise the child for biological mothers' other siblings, known as ‘mums’ and ‘dads’, was identified.

Conclusion

Discussion is centred around the necessity for ‘grass roots’ research from the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and on suggestions for future research in further exploring the themes derived from this research.