Discussion
What does this mean?
one of the most striking findings from this study is that postpartum morbidity in Cambodia must be relatively common for the elaborate emic taxonomies to toas, priey krawlah pleung, and "stuck blood" to have evolved. The general symptoms of toas detailed in this study could include the biomedical conditions known as afterpains or symptoms of moderate to severe anemia, dehydration, malnutrition, or infectious diarrheal diseases. while the symptoms described in the category of toas from food could be due to any of the ubiquitous gastrointestinal pathogens from cambodia (worms, amoebae, giardia), the symptoms described in toas from work could be due to musculoskeletal injuries secondary to birth position, weakness secondary to poor nutrition, or anemia. Symptoms from the three remaining categories of toas are difficult to interpret but could include postpartum depression, general malnutrition, and infectious diseases including tuberculosis, malaria. And AIDS. While felt by many women to be of spiritual causation, the condition of priey krawlah pleung potentially includes the biomedical diagnoses of eclampsia shock, postpartum psychosis, delirium from fever, or alcohol intoxication. Similarly, the symptoms of "stuck blood" could be due to severe anemia, occoult hemorrhage, afterpains, or infection. in summary, Emic taxonomies described in this study overlap serious biomedical conditions, including the Three major causes. of postpartum death : hemorrhage, infection, and complication of pregnancy-induced hypertension. The emic taxonomies described as toas, priey krawlah pleung, and "stuck blood" include physical conditions that potentially contribute to postpartum morbidity and mortality and may require professional sector care.