To fight against postpartum depression and to increase the production of breast milk, a fashion to say the least surprising has been gaining momentum in the United States for the past ten years: placentophagy, or the act of eating your placenta. The craze for this practice could, however, be undermined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): in a recent publication relayed by Slate, the US government agency questions the benefits of this practice after an infant living in Oregon suffered a respiratory infection caused by these famous dehydrated placenta capsules.
No official standards
Three days after giving birth, the newborn mother started consuming two placenta capsules three times a day. Problem: the capsules were contaminated. Infection of the infant, caused by bacteria in the mother’s body, allowed doctors to analyze the placenta capsules and identify the problem. The newborn was finally cured thanks to treatment with antibiotics.
The CDC explains that while placentophagy is on the rise, “scientific evidence” for the benefits of the practice is lacking. In addition, there are no official standards regarding the treatment of the placenta for consumption. “The placental capsule process does not eliminate infectious pathogens, so ingestion of placenta capsules should be avoided”, specifies the agency. Mothers interested in encapsulating the placenta should also be informed of the potential risks.
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