A community health nurse is assessing a family during a home visit. The nurse is examining the mother who is pregnant with her second child. The nurse asks the mother to raise her arms above her head. The mother replies, "I can't do this because it will cause the umbilical cord to strangle the baby." The nurse interprets this statement as reflective of:

Question

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The mother's statement reflects folk medicine, a body of preserved treatment practices that has been handed down verbally from generation to generation. One example is not reaching above your head if you are pregnant, because doing so will cause the umbilical cord to strangle the baby. Home remedies are caregiving practices passed down between families, for example, ice on a cold sore, baking soda paste on a bee sting. Herbalism involves the use of medicinal herbs. Alternative therapy or complementary therapy is designed to promote comfort, health, and well-being and includes, for example, aromatherapy, music therapy, acupuncture, and yoga.

A Community Health Nurse Is Assessing a Family During a Home