Human placentophagy

Dried human placenta as medicine - Ziheche (紫河车)

Human placentophagy, or consumption of the placenta, is defined as "the ingestion of a human placenta postpartum, at any time, by any person, either in raw or altered (e.g., cooked, dried, steeped in liquid) form".[1] Placentophagy can be divided into two categories, maternal placentophagy and non-maternal placentophagy.

While there are several anecdotes of different cultures practicing placentophagy in varying contexts, maternal placentophagy started in the US in the 1970s, with little to no evidence of its practice in any traditional or historic culture.[2] Midwives and alternative-health advocates in the U.S. are the primary groups encouraging post-partum maternal placentophagy.[1]

Maternal placentophagy has a small following in Western cultures,[3] fostered by celebrities like January Jones.[4] The placenta has high protein, rich iron and nutrient content, but there is inconclusive scientific evidence about any health benefit to its consumption.[5] The risks of human placentophagy are also still unclear,[6] but there has been one confirmed case of an infant needing hospitalization due to a group B strep blood infection tied to their mother's consumption of placenta capsules.[7]

  1. ^ a b Young, Sharon; Benyshek, Daniel (2010). "In Search of Human Placentophagy: A Cross-Cultural Survey of Human Placenta Consumption, Disposal Practices, and Cultural Beliefs". Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 49 (6): 467–84. doi:10.1080/03670244.2010.524106. PMID 21888574. S2CID 10152016.
  2. ^ Young, Sharon M. (2010). "In Search of Human Placentophagy: A Cross-Cultural Survey of Human Placenta Consumption, Disposal Practices, and Cultural Beliefs" (PDF). Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 49 (6): 467–484. doi:10.1080/03670244.2010.524106. PMID 21888574. S2CID 10152016.
  3. ^ Beacock, Michelle (2012-07-01). "Does eating placenta offer postpartum health benefits?". British Journal of Midwifery. 20 (7): 464–469. doi:10.12968/bjom.2012.20.7.464. ISSN 0969-4900. S2CID 73326778.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Pratt, J.P.; Roderuck, Charlotte; Coryell, Margaret; Macy, Icie G. (1946-11-01). "Composition of the human placenta: III Vitamin content". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 52 (5): 783–787. doi:10.1016/0002-9378(46)90185-8. ISSN 0002-9378. PMID 20273858.
  6. ^ Coyle, CW; Hulse, KE; Wisner, KL; Driscoll, KE; Clark, CT (October 2015). "Placentophagy: therapeutic miracle or myth?". Archives of Women's Mental Health. 18 (5): 673–80. doi:10.1007/s00737-015-0538-8. PMC 4580132. PMID 26043976.
  7. ^ Buser, Genevieve; et, al (June 30, 2017). "Notes from the Field: Late-Onset Infant Group B Streptococcus Infection Associated with Maternal Consumption of Capsules Containing Dehydrated Placenta — Oregon, 2016". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 66 (25): 677–678. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6625a4. PMC 5687501. PMID 28662016. S2CID 33523113.