During pregnancy, human mothers need 1000mg of total body iron to maintain oxygen to the fetus, increase maternal red blood cell mass, and allow for normal blood loss during delivery (Bodnar, Cogswell, McDonald, 2005). After delivery, this requirement declines significantly, and the risk of iron deficiency of the postpartum mother is considered to improve dramatically. However, this puts many postpartum mothers in a very vulnerable state for developing anemia and fatigue, both of which contribute to postpartum depression.
While the Centers for Disease Control, the Institute of Medicine, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have published recommendations for prevention of postpartum iron deficiency, the US Preventive Services Task Force states that there is insufficient evidence to support the need for screening postpartum mothers for iron deficiency if they show no sign of iron deficient symptoms. Those symptoms, such as fatigue, decreased productivity, and poor cognitive functioning could all be attributed to mothers who are simply adjusting to life with a newborn. Most mothers suffering from these symptoms as well as postpartum depression rarely seek medical attention. Left untreated, the effects of iron deficiency are severe and the damage from it increases over time.
With symptoms of new parenthood and iron deficiency being so similar, and the lack of screening all postpartum mothers, studies by Bodnar, Cogswell, and McDonald, 2005 suggest that the postpartum iron deficiency is “more prevalent than previously thought and that the postpartum period should not be considered a time of low risk for iron deficiency”. Even more noteworthy is the fact that postpartum depression and stress respond well to iron therapy when available.
Studies by McCoy, Bleiler, and Ohlson examined the amount of iron in whole placentas and umbilical cords and suggested that birthed placentas contain just less than 92% of the 1000mg of iron needed in a pregnant mother. This high concentration of iron is available to all mothers, custom made by her own body that sustained her and her infant through pregnancy. This same source, if ingested, could provide the new mother with the additional iron supplies her body needs during her postpartum period to help combat anemia, fatigue, and postpartum depression. These studies assume that natural iron will be more readily absorbed by the body than a synthetically manufactured supplement. Postpartum depression, stress, and cognitive impairment in women may be related to the existence of iron deficiency anemia, and all respond well to iron therapy.
Most importantly, as with many areas of childbirth, mothers need to be self advocates for their own bodies, and proactively prepare their bodies for this postpartum period with the resources that their placenta is capable of providing. Rather than wait for her health care provider to identify her as iron deficient by examining her outwardly expressed symptoms, utilizing her own natural iron resources could provide mothers with the ability to combat anemia, fatigue, and ultimately decrease the chance of developing postpartum depression.
The fatigue issue has many factors. Fatigue can be the result of poor iron stores, and can also be caused by lack of sleep. While it may be impossible to resolve sleep issues for new moms, placentophagy does help with the fatigue. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has used placenta to treat fatigue, and a large amount of anecdotal evidence that placentophagy helps increase energy levels. It is difficult to determine whether this is due to the iron content of the placenta, or some other unknown factor. But the research linking fatigue to iron deficiency is a strong case that placentophagy would help fatigue symptoms. Since the studies show that fatigue and iron deficiency are both factors in developing postpartum depression, both of which can be relieved by placentophagy, it is assumed that placentaphagy would help alleviate postpartum depression.
Known as POEF (Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor), placenta is also an effective pain-management option with advantages over standard narcotics. Results from a variety of studies have unanimously shown support of the analgesic qualities of ingesting placenta during the postpartum period.
The placenta (and amniotic fluid) contain opioids, an opium-containing substance that is produced naturally in the brain. Ingested placenta influences specific opioid receptors in the brain. The use of placenta also enhances the effects of other pain reducing features, such as morphine.
Known as “pregnancy-induced analgesia”, the pain threshold of women rises at the end of pregnancy and peaks around delivery. Pain-threshold returns to non-pregnant levels within 9-12 hours postpartum. Placentophagy also supports the elevation of the pain-threshold. Using placenta during the postpartum period offers the new mother a natural pain relief option.
In stressful situations, the human brain naturally produces a stress-fighting hormone called CRH. During the last trimester of pregnancy, the placenta secretes high levels of this hormone, assumed to help support the mother through the uncomfortable stage of late pregnancy and childbirth. According to research, this hormone is key in combating postpartum depression.
Immediately following birth, the mother’s brain must now regulate CRH itself without the help of the placenta. This regulation period may take a while leaving the new mother with low levels of CRH, making her vulnerable and unable to naturally combat the stressful postpartum period.
In addition to lower levels of CRH, new mothers also experience significant drops in other hormones immediately following birth. Estrogen and Progesterone which had increased levels throughout pregnancy due to the work of the placenta suddenly drop after birth. Estrogen supplementation is often used to significantly reduce the symptoms of postpartum depression.
The placenta is also responsible for increased levels of cortisol, another hormone which decreases significantly after birth. It is believed that this suppresses the adrenal hormones that can contribute to depressive mood changes. Changes in mood postpartum may also occur because the mother is extremely sensitive to the normal levels of hormones following birth.
Using placenta during this postpartum period helps the new mother gradually become accustom to the decreasing hormonal levels. Because the placenta is responsible for the secretion of many hormones that help control mood and depression, it only makes sense to continue to offer mother’s bodies the support from placenta during the postpartum period.
An appealing option for placentophagy is through encapsulation. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the placenta is steamed and dehydrated. Once dried, it can be ground and encapsulated for the mother to ingest the same as she did with prenatal vitamins. It is argued that placentophagy is not cannibalism because the placenta is a timed, temporary organ, and does not remain part of the body.
Citations
Information for this article was gathered from research and writings on http://www.placentabenefits.info/
Selander, J. (2006-2009). Biological Causes of Placentophagy. Placentophagy as an Adaptive Biological Behavior. Retrieved from http://www.placentabenefits.info/biological.asp
Bodnar, L. (August, 2004). Have We Forgotten the Significance of Postpartum Iron Deficiency?. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Retrieved from http://www.idpas.org/pdf/4111.pdf
Blank. M,(November, 1980). Effects of placentophagy on Serum Prolactin and Progesterone Concentrations in Rats After Parturition of Superovulation. . Retrieved from http://www.reproduction-online.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/2/273
Ramsey, J. (February, 2009). Baby Blues – Postpartum Depression Attributed to Low Levels of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone After Placenta is Gone. WebMd Health and Pregnancy. Retrieved from http://topnews.us/content/23185-hormone-levels-may-predict-who-gets-baby-blues
Kristal, M. Enhancement of Opioid-Mediated Analgesia: A Solution to the Enigma of Placentaophagia. Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo. Retrieved from http://cogprints.org/180/0/review.html
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