For example, the Navajo people believe the placenta carries special powers and they have a number of ways to honor its importance in the birth process.  Some families bury the umbilical cord and placenta near home so the child will always return to his or her family, while others place the placenta in a fire made by the tribe Hogan to ward off evil spirits.  Later, the child is introduced into the community with a baby shower and a Blessingway ceremony

Other cultures also place great emphasis on the placenta.  In Bali the placenta is buried with other appropriate offerings of goodwill for the newborn during a special family ceremony.  Then, for the first one hundred five days of the child’s life he or she is not allowed to touch the ground.  The child is held continuously in the arms of family until another ceremony is held that introduces the child to the outside world.

In Cambodia, the baby’s placenta must be buried in a specific location so that it will provide protection for the newborn.  The burial place is usually covered with a spiky plant to ward off spirits and animals.  It is feared that any interference with the burial will cause the mother to suffer from poor mental health.

Some other contemporary newborn rituals include the following.

Most German children receive a special candle on the day of their birth.  The candle has 12 cloves embedded in the wax.  Each year the candle is burned to the next clove, symbolizing the dozen years of childhood.

Many families in India celebrate with a party when the new baby takes his or her first solid food at about six months.

The Inuit people greet a newborn baby with a handshake, while the Umbundu of Angola do not take the baby outside the home and limit visitors.

Information for this article was gathered from a number of blogs and websites, including midwiferytoday.com, medhunters.com, mothering.com, parents.com and several other sites.