In addition to the recent trend of giving postpartum women encapsulated placenta has come a growing trend to offer the placenta to babies and children directly. Mothers are reporting that they are being instructed to use the placenta as a remedy given directly to the child for various ailments and conditions, including diaper cream products, shampoos, as a remedy for infant colic and for temper tantrums in toddlers. There is also advice to give the placenta pills to children on their first day of kindergarten or other times of transition.
There are no historical or cultural traditions that this practice of giving placenta directly to children is based on. See the section on human history to see the research on what humans have traditionally done with the placenta.
Since the 2006 trend of placenta encapsulation began, researchers have looked into the content of raw and processed placenta. The placenta is an organ that contains high levels of pregnancy hormones. A study done by the University of Las Vegas, Presence and Concentration of 17 Hormones in Human Placenta Processed for Encapsulation and Consumption, found that in placenta that is steamed and dehydrated for encapsulation, there were levels of estrogens and progestins retained that may reach bioactive levels (Young et al. 2016). A recent study done in Germany, Human Placentophagy: Effects of Dehydration and Steaming on Hormones, Metals and Bacteria in Placental Tissue, shows that there are a host of bacteria in placental tissue, with varying levels remaining based on preparation method. The study also analysed the hormones levels in placenta, and found that the method of processing and preparation affects these levels. This same study found that in the popular raw-dehydrated method of preparation, the hormone progesterone is actually more concentrated (Johnson et al. 2018).
Estrogen and progesterone are sex steroids. Parents should be aware of the potential risks and lack of research done on the effects of administering sex steroids to babies and children, both internally and topically. In her literature review on placentophagy, Consumption of the Placenta in the Postpartum Period, midwife Emily Hayes discusses a case report of premature sexual development of two girls following their use of hair products containing placenta (Hayes 2016).
Giving placenta directly to babies and children has no cultural or medical basis and should not be considered harmless. While there is no research to offer evidence on health risks of children’s exposure to placenta hormones, parents should be aware of the bacterial and hormonal content of the products they are giving to their children and the possible risks that could come with their use.
References
Hayes, E. (2016). Consumption of the Placenta in the Postpartum Period. JOGNN, 45, 78–89.
Johnson, S, Groten T., Pastuschek J., Rödel. J., Sammer, U., Markert, U. (2018). Human Placentophagy: Effects of Dehydration and Steaming on Hormones, Metals and Bacteria in Placental Tissue. Placenta 67; 8 – 14.
Young, S., Gryder, L., Zava, D., Kimball, D., Benyshek, D. (2016). Presence and Concentration of 17 Hormones in Human Placenta Processed for Encapsulation and Consumption. Placenta 43:86‐89.
