As soon as the child utters its first cry and its good health is confirmed, joy is celebrated in societies all over the world. Throughout Asia, the precise time of birth is meticulously recorded. An astrologer will draw up a horoscope that will determine all the important moments in the child's life.
From the moment this little being is born, it becomes part of the community, and this is made known. The Inuit call it "baby" for the first time, because in its mother's womb, it was simply the "unborn baby." In the Maghreb, women will ululate in welcome. Elsewhere, there will be applause. The Dogon priest in Mali will hasten to make a cross in soot on the door of the delivery room, proving that the child has indeed arrived. In Togo, the Ewe people welcome the baby as they customarily do with an arriving stranger: the child must drink a few drops of water that are placed on its mouth and tongue. In Nepal, the parents simulate the purchase of the Tharu child by placing it in a basket filled with grain. They will take the baby back, while the grain will be offered to the midwife who attended the birth. 
Many customs involve passing on physical, moral, and even intellectual aptitudes to the child. The Wolof people of Senegal believe that the very first words spoken to a newborn will have a considerable impact on their future life. In southern Algeria, it is the midwife who instills in the child all the necessary guidance for a long life. All the dangers an individual might encounter on earth are listed one by one in the ear of the newborn infant. She will mention all the threats; otherwise, the child will be doubly frightened when faced with danger.
Among the Susu people of Guinea-Conakry, the griot, a poet renowned for his mastery of the language, imparts oratory skills to the baby. He chews a kola nut and ginger, then spits the mixture into the child's mouth. Prior to this, the midwife will have cut the child's frenulum (the thin band under the tongue) to facilitate speech. This practice was still common in rural France in the mid-20th century.
From birth, children must be given the necessary tools to be able to fight in life. In Togo, a cork and a piece of flint are placed in the bathwater. Like the cork, the child will float above life's storms. Like the flint, they will be tough and sharp against attacks. In Zaire, the Baluba midwife will rub the newborn on earth from a termite mound, undoubtedly to give them all the vitality of this living soil. 
Depending on the beliefs of the country, the gods, ancestors, and sometimes spirits are thanked, as it is believed that the successful delivery was due to their intervention. Offerings and sacrifices also serve to maintain good relations with these supernatural beings so that they will continue to protect the child in its future life.
In Ivory Coast, the spirits who helped the midwife will be thanked by the Bakoué priest, who will offer the birth attendant a white chicken. Among the Dogon people, a hen or rooster will only be sacrificed if the mother has given birth to a male child. In that case, the father will slaughter the animal on the ancestral pottery while saying a prayer for the child's health.
In Tonga, Polynesia, it is the maternal grandfather who performs the sacrifices on the day of the birth by slaughtering a chicken and a pig. At the end of the first month, the Vietnamese celebrate their ancestors by sharing a large meal. Gifts are offered to the goddesses who allowed the baby to be born and to be healthy. Since there are twelve of these celestial goddesses, twelve of each gift is presented!
Source: Coming into the World, Lise Bartoli - Petite bibliothèque Payot - 2010