Act of mammals eating the placenta of their young after childbirth
Placental morphologies of varying placental mammalsMother goat engaging in placentophagy
Placentophagy, also known as placentophagia, is the act of consuming part or all of the afterbirth following parturition in mammals.[1] Parturition involves the delivery of the neonate, as well as the placenta and fetal membranes.[2] The placenta is a critical organ that develops in the maternal uterus during pregnancy to support the fetus. It connects to the fetus via the umbilical cord in order to allow nutrient transport, waste excretion and gas exchange between mother and fetus.[2] The morphological features of the placenta differ among species, but the function is universal.
The behaviour is characteristic to the mother of the majority of placental mammals.[1] Significant documentation has been provided on placentophagy in a range of animals.
Anomalies generally include humans and aquatic species, as well as camels.[2] However, the concept is becoming more popular among women in the Western World despite its controversial overtone.[1]
Theories as to why mammals engage in placentophagy are related to the many proposed benefits of placental consumption. These vary between animals but tend to be behavioural, medical or spiritual in nature.[2][3][4]
^ abcHayes, Emily Hart (1 January 2016). "Consumption of the Placenta in the Postpartum Period". Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing. 45 (1): 78–89. doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2015.10.008. ISSN 0884-2175. PMID 26815801. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
^ abcdKristal, Mark B. (1 June 1980). "Placentophagia: A biobehavioral enigma (or De gustibus non disputandum est)". Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 4 (2): 141–150. doi:10.1016/0149-7634(80)90012-3. ISSN 0149-7634. PMID 6999389. S2CID 10468943.
^Ober, William (1979). "Notes on Placentophagy". Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. 55 (6): 591–599. PMC 1807646. PMID 111747.
^Kristal, Mark B. (1991). "Enhancement of Opioid-Mediated Analgesia: A Solution to the Enigma of Placentophagia". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 15 (3): 425–435. doi:10.1016/S0149-7634(05)80035-1. PMID 1956610. S2CID 6331181.
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