When the baby is awake, the mother holds a small basin in her lap and at regular intervals holds the baby in a sitting position over the basin. At night, a piece of plastic is placed between the mattress and the bedding. The bedding and plastic are cleaned daily. Somali mothers say infants are toilet-trained in a short period of time. Circumcision Both males and females in Somalia are circumcised before age five.
Circumcision is viewed as a rite of passage and necessary for marriage.
Uncircumcised people are seen as unclean. Male circumcision may be performed by a traditional doctor or by a medical doctor or nurse in a hospital. Female circumcision is usually performed by female family members but is also available in some hospitals. Death It is considered uncaring to tell a terminally ill person or the family that the person is dying. It is acceptable to describe the extreme seriousness of an illness, however.