Placentophagy research and literature presentation. Links to pubmed are also available for selected references. Maternal placentophagy is not known to have been practiced in any other time. To investigate general knowledge and attitudes about placentophagy, cremers and low 2014 recruited male and female participants n 216. Theres one from 1954, which fed participants freezedried placenta and then checked on. May 02, 2016 pondering placentophagy part 2 may 2, 2016 this is the second part of an article in which i am reflecting upon our knowledge about placentophagy. There is no evidence that this practice was ever widespread or is routinely practices in any culture, including small huntergatherer tribes, remote cultures, etc. Today, the demand for information about placentophagy and. New research published on experiences with placentophagy. Placentophagy definition of placentophagy by medical. While placentophagy has been with us for as long as humans have been giving birth and even since before our primate ancestors evolved into human beings, the practice has become less widespread over the last few centuries, and has almost vanished in the modern world. Consumption of the placenta in the postpartum period jognn.
Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. In addition, clinicians should inquire regarding a history of placenta ingestion in. In total 46 users reported planning to do placentophagy with their next birth, specifically motivated by a. Therefore, it is important for nurses to have adequate information to advise mothers about the potential risks of this practice. Human placentophagy, or consumption of the placenta, is defined as the ingestion of a human. Placentophagia evolutionary parenting where history and. Placentophagia is an exception in human cultures despite being a norm in mammals.
Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 1. Most providers and patients have heard of placentophagy but are unsure of its benefits andor risks. Theres also just about no record of the practice ever existing historically in any form other than modern age. Placentophagy or placentophagia, the postpartum ingestion of the placenta, is widespread among mammals. He is the managing editor of psychopomp magazine and an assistant professor of creative writing at st. In the united states, the growing interest in natural childbirth appears to be connected to a growing interest in placentophagy, the practice of consuming the placenta after birth. Critics of placentophagyincluding nancy redd, who wrote about it for the new york times s motherlode blogsay that stories of successful placentophagy are as anecdotal, and in my case as. My intention with this blog post is not to make any conclusive statements about the practice of placenta encapsulation or placentophagy, w. 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. Placentophagy a brief look at the history surrounding placenta consumption and a more in depth look at the research and literature available. Motivations and experiences associated with placenta consumption pdf. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. While placentophagy the act of ingesting your own placenta after giving birth has not provoked the same kind of motheronmother vitriol that say, breastfeeding has, it has elicited a rather swift and scientifically fueled smackdown on those who have supported it. In addition, clinicians should inquire regarding a history of placenta ingestion in cases of postpartum maternal or neonatal infections such as.
There is a risk of spreading bloodborne illness, only present in cases of nonmaternal placentophagy, where the mothers blood is shared with another human. A computerized search was conducted using pubmed, medline ovid, and psychinfo between. No mothers in human history ate their own placentas before. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Sequoia nagamatsu is the author of the japanese folktale and popculture inspired story collection, where we go when all we were is gone. Postpartum ingestion of the afterbirth by the mother, or maternal placentophagy, is a common behavior among eutherian mammals, including nonhuman primates, with humans as a rare exception. Nevertheless, there is an increasing interest in placentophagy among postpartum women, especially in the united states. The purpose of this study was to assess patient and provider familiarity with and attitudes toward placentophagy, as well as patients willingness to try placentophagy.
Maternal human placentophagy describes the practice of ingesting one. Indeed, mumsnet have previously published books that have. Stay tuned in 2016 for the results of unlv placenta vs. Despite the conspicuous absence of placentophagy in the crosscultural ethnographic record, the practice appears to be gaining popularity among a small but growing number of advocates in various. Well, in all of our research into this practice, we were not able to determine exactly when this began, particularly in the u. Placentophagy is supported by health advocates who assert that the placenta retains hormones and nutrients that are beneficial to the mother. As a newly certified nurse midwife, i am incredibly grateful for guidelines and rules.
Marilyn yalom1, the author of an intriguing book titled a history of the breast, asks with. Therefore, it is important for nurses to have adequate information to advise. The placenta contains small amounts of oxytocin which eases birth stress and causes the smooth muscles around the mammary cells to contract and eject milk. Placentophagy maternal consumption of the placenta has become increasingly prevalent in the past decade among women seeking to promote health and healing during the postpartum period. This page was last edited on 16 december 2019, at 20. Placentophagia is the practice of ingesting placenta either raw or modified by cooking or encapsulation. It contains half the mothers blood and half the babys blood. My novice insecurities are deeply reassured by numbered lists, dos and donts, and tables. There is obviously a pressing need for more research. This paper concludes that the private, eccentric acts of placentophagy and embryophagy are not illegal.
Perspectives from patients and healthcare providers on the. Theres one from 1954, which fed participants freezedried placenta and then checked on their breastmilk production. A majority 66% reported some awareness of placentophagy either human or animal and a marginal but none significant difference p placentophagy entails the consumption of human tissue by a human or humans, its status as cannibalism is debated. Dont eat your placenta, researchers warn dried placenta, prepared as a jar of pills by washington midwife claudia booker, is shown in 2014.
Placentophagy the act of eating the placenta is an old tribal practice that is currently undergoing a revival in the western world. Whatever the cause of placentophagy in the animal kingdom, its clear that moms from across the world are pleased with the results from utilizing their placenta for postpartum recovery. Research questions the ubiquity of maternal placentophagy among eutherian mammal species, including nonhuman primates, and its exceedingly rare occurrence in indus. Pondering placentophagy part 2 may 2, 2016 this is the second part of an article in which i am reflecting upon our knowledge about placentophagy. Numerous historical occurrences of placentophagy have been recorded throughout the.
Placenta history the most popular placenta encapsulation process used widely around the world today is based on traditional chinese medicine tcm techniques, where the placenta is considered a powerful and sacred medicine a full of life force organ that should be consumed to support a healing mother after birth. Placentophagy is the norm in mammals, exceptions being marine mammals, camels, and humans. During this presentation i extrapolate that consuming ones own placenta has the ability to positively impact and aid a womans postpartum period referencing the studies conducted to date. An analysis of socially deviant behavior within gender, families, or the home etudes 1 carmen m. Some experts think that modern doulas and midwives may recommend placentophagy based on a. It is practiced by 99% of mammals, and has been a part of asian medicine for hundreds of years. Placentophagy and the risk of invasive neonatal gbs disease. It contains half the mothers blood and half the babys blood, and is unique to every mother and baby.
There is a small but growing number of new mothers who desire to take the placenta home to consume it. And there seems to have been a resurgence, so to speak, in. Placentophagia consuming the placenta has historically not been a common practice among humans. The proposed benefits of consuming the placenta may include hormonal balancing, pain moderation, nutritional advantages such as iron supplementation, increased lactation, improved energy, and prevention of postpartum depression. Patients with a history of a selfreported mental health disorder were more likely to be willing to consider placentophagy and to believe that healthcare providers should discuss it with their patients. Women who reported having a history of a mental health disorder were more likely to consider trying placentophagy. Clarks team looked into the history of placentophagy in humans and found that the first documented accounts of the practice in postpartum women were in north america in the 1970s. Its exciting to see more research developing about this practice. Over the past few decades the practice has gained attention as more women, particularly educated, middleclass, white american women, choose to partake in this practice. Purported benefits of placentophagia include pain relief, increased breast milk production, and decreased risk of postpartum. Patients with a history of a selfreported mental health. Previous negative experiences with being unable to breastfeed, bleeding and having low energy also motivated the practice. Dont eat your placenta, researchers warn washington post. Backstory is crucial to the present action in this story, but its handled in a quick, compact line.
Placentophagy is the practice of ingesting the placenta. Effects of human maternal placentophagy on postpartum. Placentophagy and chinese medicine happy goat productions. Placenta has a springy texture similar to the heart, but more spongelike whilst human placenta has a taste akin to a mild liver, many beef recipes work well with human placenta. Jul 07, 2017 the first placebocontrolled study of placentophagy, published in nov. Throughout history, different cultures have done it, although they dont always think its a good thing. Placentophagia evolutionary parenting where history. The first placebocontrolled study of placentophagy, published in nov. Somewhere in the building ayus tiny body, caught in the strained expression of her first and last cry, rests in drawer, waiting for someone to fetch her. Join our student board member christine higgins to discuss placentophagy. Numerous historical occurrences of placentophagy have been recorded throughout the world, whereas modern occurrences of. The placenta is the only organ that belongs to two people at the same time. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page.
Article understanding placentophagy canadian journal of. Placentophagy or placentophagia, the postpartum ingestion of the placenta. Its also cropped up among a very small number of particularly nutty circles as a form of alternative medicine. Placentophagy definition of placentophagy by medical dictionary. The few studies done on placentophagy in humans are less than ideal. Placenta is an organ meat expelled soon after a birth. At present, there is an increasing interest in placentophagy among postpartum women, especially in the united states. No proven health benefits, unknown risks of eating. Harriet hall actually wrote about placentophagy back in 2011, and the supporting evidence of benefit in humans remains in the we asked a bunch of women if they enjoyed it and would recommend it to a friend stage. Eating the placenta after birth carries no health benefits. Nursing clio placentophagy isnt new, but it has changed. The selected green journal articles are free through the end of the calendar year. Postpartum women are consuming their placentas encapsulated, cooked, and raw for the prevention of postpartum depression ppd, pain relief, and other health benefits.
Numerous historical occurrences of placentophagy have been recorded throughout the world, whereas modern occurrences of placentophagy are rare since most contemporary societies do. Postpartum women are consuming their placentas placentophagy. Oct 18, 2017 dont eat your placenta, researchers warn dried placenta, prepared as a jar of pills by washington midwife claudia booker, is shown in 2014. The following blog is merely a collection of notes and not a serious scientific research paper. Kristal, department of psychology, university at buffalo, buffalo, ny 142604110. Jun 04, 2015 the few studies done on placentophagy in humans are less than ideal. Jan 01, 2017 patients with a history of a selfreported mental health disorder were more likely to be willing to consider placentophagy and to believe that healthcare providers should discuss it with their patients. History of placenta encapsulation and placentophagy. Consumption of the placenta in the postpartum period. A computerized search was conducted using pubmed, medline ovid, and. A majority 66% reported some awareness of placentophagy either human or animal and.
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