Maternal placentophagy, the consumption of one’s own placenta after childbirth, has seen a resurgence in popularity in Western cultures, often supported by celebrity endorsement. This custom, common across most placental mammals, is conspicuously rare in human history. The central question surrounding this trend is whether eating the placenta qualifies as an act of cannibalism, requiring an exploration of the placenta’s biological composition and the definition of consuming human tissue.
Defining Cannibalism and Placentophagy
Cannibalism, or anthropophagy, is generally defined as the act of one human consuming the flesh or internal organs of another human being of the same species. The consumption of another person’s body matter is effectively made impossible by laws concerning murder or the desecration of a corpse. The motivation for consumption in cases of true human cannibalism has historically been categorized as nutritional, ritualistic, or pathological. Placentophagy, in contrast, is the ingestion of the placenta and other afterbirth components following parturition. This practice is widespread throughout the animal kingdom for nutritional or instinctual reasons. Human placentophagy is a more recent phenomenon in modern Western society, though dried placenta, known as Ziheche, has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The Biological Classification of the Placenta
The debate over whether placentophagy constitutes cannibalism hinges on the biological classification of the organ itself. The placenta is a temporary organ that develops shortly after implantation and is expelled after birth. The primary tissue of the placenta, the chorion frondosum, is derived from the outer cells of the blastocyst and is genetically identical to the infant, not the mother. This means that the majority of the tissue consumed is biologically “non-self” to the mother, as it carries the fetus’s genome. A thin layer of maternal tissue, the decidua basalis, is shed along with the placenta, making it a blend of both fetal and maternal components. Because the placenta is expelled from the body and is largely composed of tissue from the baby, some medical professionals have noted that consuming it “borders on cannibalism.” However, since the placenta is a transient organ and its consumption does not involve the flesh of a living or deceased human, it is not legally or medically classified as cannibalism in the traditional sense.
Reported Motivations for Consumption
Proponents of maternal placentophagy cite a range of anecdotal benefits, often rooted in the belief that the placenta’s rich content of hormones and nutrients can aid in postpartum recovery. The most frequently reported motivation is the desire to improve postpartum mood, specifically to help prevent or mitigate the “baby blues” or postpartum depression. Women also report consuming the placenta to boost their energy levels and to increase milk production. These claims are based on the fact that the placenta contains various hormones, such as oxytocin, estrogen, and progesterone, as well as essential nutrients like iron. A 2013 survey of women who engaged in the practice found that a common reason cited was to replenish iron stores after blood loss during birth.
Scientific Evaluation of Safety and Effectiveness
Despite the self-reported positive experiences, robust clinical evidence supporting the health benefits of human placentophagy is currently lacking or inconclusive. Researchers have found no significant effects on maternal mood, bonding, or fatigue in randomized, double-blind trials. Studies have shown that consuming placenta capsules does not significantly improve a mother’s iron status compared to a placebo. A primary concern is the potential for bacterial contamination, especially when the placenta is improperly handled, stored, or processed for encapsulation. The placenta can harbor infectious pathogens, such as Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Salmonella. Inadequate preparation, particularly the raw-dehydrated method, may fail to reach the necessary temperatures to eradicate these bacteria. In one confirmed case, a newborn developed a life-threatening GBS blood infection traced back to the mother’s consumption of contaminated placenta capsules, transmitted via breastfeeding. Major health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, do not recommend placentophagy due to the lack of evidence for its benefits and the potential for infectious risk.