If you grew up here in the Philippines, you might have heard of these myths.
“Kambal Saging” – eating twin bananas may lead to having twins
Twin development happens purely by chance or because of your genes.
“Sino” – putting a small thread on the baby’s forehead will stop his/her hiccups
Hiccups can be caused by several factors like overfeeding or swallowing air. To avoid them, make the baby burp and don’t feed the baby too fast.
“Bigkis” or post-labor stomach binding
Tying a cloth around one’s tummy can put pressure on the uterus, causing it to bleed, It can also lead to further complications, especially if you’ve experienced a C-section.
“Paglilihi” or pregnancy cravings
Many Filipinos, to this day, believe that what you eat and crave for during pregnancy has a direct influence on the physical attributes of the baby. However, scientific studies prove that there is no link between paglilihi and the unborn baby’s physical attributes.
“Usog” or the stranger’s evil eye
Usog is an age-old Filipino superstition. The belief states that discomfort (fever, bloating, nausea/vomiting) is brought to the baby by a stranger or visitor who is said to have an evil eye. A simple greeting from the visitor is said to be enough to cause this curse. To counter this, the stranger would need to say “pwede usog” while licking his thumb and applying saliva while tracing a cross on the infant’s forehead. This superstition has no scientific basis.
Source:
AVEGA Medical Bulletin
AVEGA Managed Care, Inc.
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