New Mums who eat their placenta could be taking a big health risk, warn experts

Considering eating your placenta after you give birth? It's a practice that's become trendy again but experts have warned new mums that it may have absolutely no benefit... and might even be harmful. Placentophagy (to use the official term) re-emerged recently when reality TV star and natural health fan Kourtney Kardashian extolled its virtues after having her placenta turned into pills following the arrival of her son Reign Aston Disick.

"No joke," she posted on Instagram underneath a picture of the pills. "I will be sad when my placenta pills run out. They are life changing!"

But scientists at Northwestern University say they haven't found any evidence that consuming the placenta in any form results in a health boost. Study author Dr Crystal Clark said that, while there are a lot of subjective reports from women who perceived benefits, "there hasn't been any systematic research investigating the benefits or the risk of placenta ingestion."

Lead author, psychologist Dr Cynthia Coyle, said that eating the placenta, the organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall and filters toxins and waste during the pregnancy, could even be risky, particularly if you are breastfeeding.

"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." she said.

"There are no regulations as to how the placenta is stored and prepared, and the dosing is inconsistent. Women really don't know what they are ingesting."

Many women believe eating the placenta produces a range of health benefits, including post labour pain relief, increased milk production and post-natal depression prevention.