Important Stages of Late Ottoman Baby Care: Cleaning, Clothing, Sleeping and Walking
Birth and child care, as an important field reflecting the cultural, social and health7related dynamics of societies, has witnessed the interaction of modernization and traditional practices throughout history. It is clear that practices during and after birth are similar in Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Although more modern practices regarding birth came into play in the nineteenth century, it is understood that traditional habits and beliefs were continued in both societies. In order for the birth to be easy and for the mother and baby to continue their lives in health, washing, cutting the umbilical cord, salting, swaddling and praying are performed after the birth. Different stages of care for a two7year7old child, which is still considered an important stage in physical and spiritual growth today, such as cleaning, dressing, sleeping and walking periods, were issues emphasized by experts and experienced mothers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In women's and children's magazines, efforts were made to inform mothers about ideal child care methods. Thus, it was aimed to prevent care7related deaths of children and to offer them a more prosperous life. The declaration of motherhood, which was added as a national duty, was also created to ensure the population policy was followed.
Son Dönem Osmanlı Bebek Bakımının Önemli Merhaleleri: Temizlik, Giyim, Uyku ve Yürüme
Doğum ve çocuk bakımı, toplumların kültürel, sosyal ve sağlıkla ilgili dinamiklerini yansıtan önemli bir alan olarak, tarihsel süreçte modernleşme ile geleneksel uygulamaların etkileşimine sahne olmuştur. Avrupa ve Osmanlı’da doğum sırası ve sonrasındaki uygulamaların benzerlik gösterdiği açıktır. Ondokuzuncu yüzyılda doğum konusunda daha yenilikçi uygula7 malar devreye girse de her iki toplumda da geleneksel alışkanlık ve inançların devam ettirildiği anlaşılmaktadır. Doğumun kolay gerçekleşmesi, anne ve bebeğin sağlıkla hayatlarına devam etmelerinde doğumun akabinde yıkama, göbek bağı kesme, tuzlama, kundaklama ile dua etme işlemi gerçekleştirilir. Bugün de fiziksel ve ruhsal olarak büyüme evresinde önemli bir aşama olarak kabul edilen iki yaşta çocuğun temizlik, giyim, uyku ve yürüme dönemleri gibi bakımın farklı merhaleleri uzmanlar ve tecrübeleri validelerce Ondokuzuncu yüzyıl sonları Yirminci yüzyıl başlarında üzerinde durulan konulardı. Kadın ve çocuk dergilerinde ideal çocuk bakım yöntemleriyle anneler bilgilendirilmeye çalışılmıştı. Böylece çocukların bakımdan kaynaklı ölümlerinin önünü almak onlara daha refah bir hayat sunmak amaçlanmıştı. Milli bir vazife olarak addedilen annelik devletin takip ettiği nüfus politikasının temelini de oluşturmuştu.
The nineteenth century has been a period of social, political and cultural transformation in Europe, as in Europe for the Ottoman Empire. The wars, riots, epidemics and economic difficulties in this period have forced the empire to make radical changes not only politically but also in many areas of social life. The reform movements that started with the announcement of the Tanzimat Edict have covered a wide area from administrative and legal regulations to education, from health to social policies. In particular, the necessity of education, the sending of students abroad and the transport of Western science to Ottoman society has been one of the important dynamics of the modernization process. One of the reflections of these modernization movements on social life has manifested itself in the field of health.
The training of specialist physicians in the field of health, the institutionalization of medical education, the use of modern medical equipment, the progress recorded in drugs and vaccines has created an important transformation in Ottoman society. These developments have led to new perspectives on the care and health of not only adults, but also children and especially babies. As a matter of fact, by the end of the nineteenth century, remarkable progress in Ottoman society in parallel with the developments in Europe in the field of mother and child health.
During this period, with the acceleration of press and media activities, modern medical information was brought to the wider sections of the society. Through newspapers, magazines and treatises, scientific data on child care were presented to mothers, caregivers and families, and it was aimed to correct false practices among the public. For example, issues such as feeding babies, bath order, sleep habits, arson methods and walking processes are discussed in detail with the articles written by specialist physicians and experienced mothers of the period. It has been emphasized that traditional methods, especially arson, may cause some permanent physical damages; Modern, medical reasons are proposed to these applications.
The use of drunken substances, which facilitated the transition to the sleep given to infants during sleep, has existed as a tradition in Ottoman society for many years; However, under the influence of modern medical understanding, it has been explained that this practice is extremely inconvenient for infant health. Likewise, in the articles of child care, the importance of the presence of a separate bed for infants or at least a swing that can be easily installed in every house. However, mothers should be conscious about the various tools and equipment used to strengthen and support the legs in infants passing to the walking period; In particular, it is emphasized that the enthusiasm of mothers to execute their babies early can lead to permanent orthopedic disorders.
All these developments show that the Ottoman society is not only trying to westernize, but also strives to blend its own traditional values and contemporary scientific knowledge together. The works published in the field of child care show that Ottoman society is open to contemporary medical knowledge, that social health adopts as a state policy and tries to put the process of modernization on social foundations.
As a result, the developments in the field of child and infant health in the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century constitute an important dimension of the modernization efforts of the period. The Ottoman society closely followed the contemporary developments in Europe and tried to perform this information as it adapted to its social structure. Particularly thanks to the information transferred to the public through press and media activities, it is aimed to improve mother and child health; The training of healthy generations has become the common concern of the state and society. This process can be considered as an important indicator of the transformation of Ottoman modernization in social life.
