Placenta Consumption: Not Risky

Many people have heard that animals who have just given birth will eat their own placenta. It is debated whether or not the animal is doing so for nutritional benefits, to hide the scent of the afterbirth from predators, or a little bit of both. There is a lot of controversy about whether or not humans should participate in placentophagy (eating of the placenta). The custom is repulsive to most people, but there are powerful anecdotal benefits associated with placentophagy including alleviation of postpartum depression symptoms and breast milk supply increase.

Typically, the human placenta can be preserved in several ways by a trained placenta medicine specialist. The most common method of preservation is referred to as the Traditional Chinese Method (TCM) where the placenta is thoroughly washed and detached from the umbilical cord. It is, then, steamed with several 'warming' herbs before being cut into small pieces and dehydrated for 24 hours. After dehydration, the placenta is ground into a fine powder and put into capsules. Some new mothers prefer to skip the herbs and the steaming process, in which case, the placenta will go straight into the dehydrator and then into capsules. This is referred to as the Raw Method. This method carries more risk than TCM because the placenta is not exposed to the high temperature of the steam, which can lead to more bacteria in the finished product.

To spark further controversy over placentophagy, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement in June 2017 about an infant who was hospitalized for sepsis due to a Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection. The CDC pinned the mother's dehydrated placenta capsules as the culprit, however, the statement also says "[a]lthough transmission from other colonized household members could not be ruled out, the final diagnosis was late-onset GBS disease attributable to high maternal colonization secondary to consumption of GBS-infected placental tissue..." This severely impacted the placenta medicine business, and encapsulation specialists saw a rapid decline in clientele interested in their services.

A recent study from the University of Nevada was just released in May 2018 stating that there was no increased risk of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission or infant death associated with placentophagy, contradicting the CDC statement about the dangers of the practice.

Expectant mothers who are considering consuming their placenta postpartum should decide what method of preparation is most comfortable for them, and all health factors should be considered. Testing positive for GBS is not necessarily a contraindication for placentophagy, however, the presence of an active infection (demonstrated by an elevated body temperature) at the time of delivery is a contraindication and should be communicated with the placenta medicine specialist immediately.

I was trained in placenta medicine preparation by two local Boulder County midwives. During one of my training sessions, I asked one of the midwives, Nichole, about the evidence supporting the benefits of placentophagy. To my surprise, at the time, she told me that there was no science-based evidence of the benefits, but she also said something that has stuck with me, even 2 years later: "Even if it is just a placebo effect, that is enough to justify using it to combat postpartum depression."

If you struggle with postpartum depression, or if you are experiencing intrusive thoughts, please reach out to a trusted individual or a professional. There is help available, and you are not alone.

Photo owned by Desirae Holliday