Despite celebrity endorsements from such luminaries as Kourtney Kardashian and Holly Madison, a new review of 10 studies (4 human, 6 animal) shows no evidence for any benefit from the practice. Many believe it can provide pain relief, promote lactation, and even help prevent postpartum depression.
'Our sense is that women choosing placentophagy, who may otherwise be very careful about what they are putting into their bodies during pregnancy and nursing, are willing to ingest something without evidence of its benefits and, more importantly, of its potential risks to themselves and their nursing infants,' said lead author Cynthia Coyle, a Feinberg faculty member and a psychologist.
