NEW YORK (AP) – Health officials are advising new moms about the potential dangers of taking pills made from their placenta, after an Oregon infant’s infection was tied to the practice.
Trendy among some mothers, the practice of eating the placenta after giving birth is believed by some to help with postpartum depression, breast milk production and energy levels. It’s taken off in the U.S. in the last decade and some experts think tens of thousands of moms do it.
But a group of doctors and health officials say capsules appear to have caused an infant’s illness in Oregon last fall.
The authors say putting placentas into capsules is not regulated and there’s no guarantee the pills are free of dangerous germs. They said moms should avoid taking them.
The paper was released Thursday.