Plus, doctors say there are no proven benefits.
By Korin Miller, Self
You’ve probably heard at some point about placentophagy, an occasional postpartum practice involving eating the placenta,
i.e. the organ that helps provide oxygen and nutrients to a baby during
pregnancy. It’s not super common, but plenty of women will have their
placenta encapsulated after giving birth, and then take placenta pills
for weeks afterward. Humans are one of just a few mammals that don’t eat
the placenta after birth, and fans of placentophagy argue that it’s
natural to do it.
[post_ads]It sounds intense,
but the internet is filled with anecdotes from women who swear
placentophagy helped increase their milk production, stave off postpartum depression, and keep up their iron levels, among other things.
Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is weighing in
on the practice—citing the story of one woman in Oregon whose baby was
struck with a mysterious and serious infection. Per the CDC, the baby
was born healthy but went into respiratory distress shortly after birth.
Tests found that the baby had a deadly bacterial infection known as
Group B Streptococcus (GBS). The baby was given antibiotics and
recovered, but soon became sick again with GBS.
Tests determined that the GBS was actually caused from the placenta pills the baby’s mother had been taking for weeks.
GBS can cause illness in adults, but it’s especially severe for newborns, the CDC
says. Among other things, it can cause sepsis (an infection of the
blood), pneumonia, and meningitis (an infection of the fluid and lining
around the brain and spinal cord). In this case, it's possible the
infection was transmitted from the capsule to the mother and then to the
newborn through skin-to-skin contact or breastfeeding.
Companies
that encapsulate placenta typically ask moms if they have any
preexisting infections like hepatitis, herpes, chlamydia, syphilis, and
Lyme disease, but usually don’t actually test the placenta. The CDC
points out that there are no standards that exist for processing
placenta, so it could vary from company to company. And, if a company
fails to heat the placenta to an appropriate degree during processing,
it’s possible that the placenta could contain harmful bacteria that can
then be transferred to the baby.
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GBS is very common in the reproductive tract, Lauren Streicher,
M.D., an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells SELF, which
is why every pregnant woman is screened for it and treated if she's a
carrier. However, if a doctor isn't aware that a woman with GBS plans to
encapsulate her placenta—or the woman just doesn't think that her
placenta could carry the bacteria—it's easy enough for this to fall
through the cracks. And, if she's eating the placenta, she could put her
baby's life in danger. "This is potentially harmful and deadly," Dr.
Streicher says. "This baby could have died—it's not OK."
Because placenta encapsulation can pass along infectious pathogens, the CDC says "placenta capsule ingestion should be avoided," and doctors should educate their patients about potential risks.
Obviously,
no mother would willingly put their baby in danger, and hey, maybe you
heard positive stories about placentophagy and want to try it yourself.
But board-certified infectious disease specialist Amesh A. Adalja, M.D.,
senior associate at the John’s Hopkins Center for Health Security,
tells SELF that you really shouldn’t risk it.
“Many times nothing may happen, but there is a risk that an infection is going to occur,” he says, citing E.coli
among the many infections that can be transferred to a baby from
placenta pills. But infection isn’t the only thing new moms have to
worry about when eating the placenta: Women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, M.D., tells SELF that women may put themselves at an increased risk of blood clots from ingesting more estrogen.
Despite
the fact that plenty of women do this—including celebrities like
January Jones and Alicia Silverstone—Christine Greves, M.D., a
board-certified ob/gyn at Winnie Palmer Hospital, tells SELF that there
is no good scientific evidence to back up placentophagy in humans.
[post_ads]For example, a 2015 meta-analysis published in Archives of Women's Mental Health,
found that while some women perceive the practice to reduce the risk of
postpartum depression, increase milk production, and enhance their
recovery from childbirth, the research is “inconclusive.” Many
placentophagy fans claim that it can help increase a new mom’s iron
levels, but a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study published
in The Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health
in 2016 found there was no evidence that eating the placenta increased a
woman’s iron levels more than those who had beef placebo pills.
One
possible explanation for the reported benefits would be a placebo
effect, says Dr. Greves. “That’s why if someone tells me that they’re
doing it, I tell them that there’s no scientific evidence to do it, but
that they should inform their pediatrician just in case,” she says. “The
placebo effect can be powerful.”
Experts say that you’re better off getting vitamins and nutrients from actual food.
“Women
should stick with what has been proven to be effective,” Dr. Wider
says. If you want to make sure your milk supply is up after you give
birth, try increasing nursing or pumping between feedings (breast milk
production operates on a supply and demand schedule, so typically the
more you try to nurse or pump, the more your body will produce) and eat a
balanced diet.
If you have a history of depression
or are especially concerned about postpartum depression, Dr. Greves
recommends flagging that for your doctor. She or he may refer you to a
counselor, who can make sure you have a good support system in place and
may recommend that you take an antidepressant after giving birth, just
to be safe. And, she says, supplements can help keep your iron levels up
(just check in with your doctor first).
“Placental
pills have no science behind them, and you’re placing a very deadly
risk upon a child,” Dr. Adalja says. “It’s important that people realize
that.”
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