The placenta is a temporary organ that forms during pregnancy, providing the developing fetus with oxygen and nutrients while removing waste. After delivery, the placenta may be discarded or kept for personal or medical purposes. If a family chooses to preserve this organ, freezing is possible, but the method and purpose vary dramatically, from simple home storage for personal use to highly technical cryopreservation for medical banking. The chosen path dictates the necessary handling protocols and the viability of the tissue for its intended future use.
Freezing for Personal Use and Encapsulation
Freezing the placenta is often done for personal use, such as encapsulation into pills or for ritualistic purposes like delayed burial. Immediate post-birth handling is time-sensitive to maintain tissue integrity and minimize bacterial growth. The placenta should be placed in a food-grade container and refrigerated or kept on ice at 40°F (4°C) or lower, ideally within the first two hours after delivery.
If the placenta cannot be processed within three to four days of refrigeration, it must be moved to a freezer for longer preservation. For encapsulation, the placenta is typically double-bagged in freezer-safe, leak-proof bags, with excess air removed to prevent freezer burn. Properly frozen, the tissue can be stored for up to six months before being thawed in the refrigerator for preparation. Processing methods vary, including raw preparation or the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) method, which involves steaming the organ before dehydration and encapsulation.
Medical Preservation and Stem Cell Banking
Freezing the entire placenta in a home freezer is not recognized for medical banking, as this process does not preserve viable stem cells for future therapeutic use. Medical preservation is a specialized procedure focused on extracting specific cells and tissues, not cryopreserving the whole organ. The placenta is a source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), particularly in the amniotic membrane and chorionic plate tissues, which are used for applications in regenerative medicine.
These stem cells are not simply frozen; they are isolated, processed with cryoprotective agents, and then stored in specialized cryopreservation facilities at ultra-low temperatures, typically around -190°C, often using liquid nitrogen. This distinction is important because the whole placenta contains both fetal and maternal cells, and the complex tissue structure is not easily preserved for cell viability in a standard freezer. While some companies offer “placenta banking,” this usually involves preserving a small tissue snippet or extracting specific cells, which is a significant logistical and scientific difference from cord blood banking. Established banking practices focus on umbilical cord blood and cord tissue due to their higher stem cell concentration and lower risk of contamination.
Safe Handling and Contamination Risks
The placenta must be handled as biological material, requiring strict hygiene protocols to mitigate contamination risks, regardless of whether it is intended for personal use or medical research. The organ is not sterile and can harbor pathogens such as Group B Streptococcus or E. coli, which multiply rapidly if the tissue is not promptly chilled. Handlers should wear protective gloves and cover any open cuts or abrasions when moving the placenta to the storage container.
Once sealed, the placenta must be kept consistently cool; a cooler packed with ice is often necessary immediately after birth, followed by transfer to a refrigerator or freezer. Freezing the organ does not kill all bacteria or viruses; it merely stops their growth, so any existing pathogens remain dormant. Thawing must be done slowly and safely in the refrigerator over 24 to 48 hours, never at room temperature, to prevent the “danger zone” where bacteria can rapidly reactivate and multiply. The tissue should also never be thawed and then refrozen, as this compromises its quality and increases the risk of contamination.