Now motherhood is not being welcomed with flowers and chocolates alone, but with a sumptuous placenta meal too!
Anne Swanson was ecstatic at the birth of her second child. A resident of Las Vegas, Anne was well looked after at the hospital and was provided the best medical facilities to bring her baby into the world. But soon after, an incident made Anne sue the hospital – the hospital had refused to hand over her placenta! While most might cringe at the very thought, but the fact is, many mothers demand their placenta after child birth in order to ingest it, since it is believed to contain many nutrients and is also believed to cure post-partum depression.
Placentophagy (consumption of placenta) might sound bizarre in the modern world, but mammals usually eat their placenta after giving birth. Tracing back the origin of this practice, it was discovered that the placenta was consumed as a natural process to erase the evidence of birth from the predators in the wild, though the theory also remains refuted by many. This act has later been emulated by humans after a research suggested that the placenta prevents post-partum depression, is nutritious since the foetus receives nutrients from it and can also prevent other complications post pregnancy.
Also, not many would be aware that this blood-contained, gooey-looking organ, which is disposed off as waste after the birth of the child, is highly valued in many cultures. According to the Navajo Indians of the Southwest and New Zealand’s Maoris, the placenta is symbolic of life and individuality and, therefore, as a custom, it is buried with complete ceremonial rituals. Whereas Filipina women believe in burying the placenta along with books, trusting that this rite will help in making their child smart and intelligent.
Well, all this is pretty much believable, but imagine ingesting this vascular organ, which is attached to the umbilical cord of the baby and develops with the uterus and is discharged immediately after child birth! The idea didn’t really come as a surprise to Dr. Sonu Nigam, a gynaecologist, who informed, “During my brief period in England, I had come across people who would take the placenta home only because it was relished as a delicious dish.” But there was a slight sign of shock when he was asked if mothers consumed it for its nutritious qualities. “I haven’t heard of such a thing in India. Although this belief has existed with many cultures, it is strange that people today consume the placenta,” replied Dr. Nigam.
Among those who find this idea effective and not appalling are the Vietnamese and Chinese, who subscribe to the views of their age-old tradition, and have found interesting ways of consuming the placenta. The Chinese drink it as a broth after boiling the placenta, while some crush it and eat the powder. Very recently, placenta capsules have also begun to be prepared by certain chefs on order. “In India, people are unaware of the fact that the placenta can be eaten. Also, there is still no concrete evidence to prove that consuming the placenta actually cures postnatal depression and other complications. Placenta contains blood, which might carry infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis. So, one must be aware of that as well before blindly following any belief,” was a piece of advice shared by Dr. Divya Bajaj, a consultant. Since science, technology and even culture in India is now being emulated from the West, one can never guess if all of those people who find this idea obnoxious today, might be relishing a placenta meal tomorrow!
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
Anne Swanson was ecstatic at the birth of her second child. A resident of Las Vegas, Anne was well looked after at the hospital and was provided the best medical facilities to bring her baby into the world. But soon after, an incident made Anne sue the hospital – the hospital had refused to hand over her placenta! While most might cringe at the very thought, but the fact is, many mothers demand their placenta after child birth in order to ingest it, since it is believed to contain many nutrients and is also believed to cure post-partum depression.
Placentophagy (consumption of placenta) might sound bizarre in the modern world, but mammals usually eat their placenta after giving birth. Tracing back the origin of this practice, it was discovered that the placenta was consumed as a natural process to erase the evidence of birth from the predators in the wild, though the theory also remains refuted by many. This act has later been emulated by humans after a research suggested that the placenta prevents post-partum depression, is nutritious since the foetus receives nutrients from it and can also prevent other complications post pregnancy.
Also, not many would be aware that this blood-contained, gooey-looking organ, which is disposed off as waste after the birth of the child, is highly valued in many cultures. According to the Navajo Indians of the Southwest and New Zealand’s Maoris, the placenta is symbolic of life and individuality and, therefore, as a custom, it is buried with complete ceremonial rituals. Whereas Filipina women believe in burying the placenta along with books, trusting that this rite will help in making their child smart and intelligent.
Well, all this is pretty much believable, but imagine ingesting this vascular organ, which is attached to the umbilical cord of the baby and develops with the uterus and is discharged immediately after child birth! The idea didn’t really come as a surprise to Dr. Sonu Nigam, a gynaecologist, who informed, “During my brief period in England, I had come across people who would take the placenta home only because it was relished as a delicious dish.” But there was a slight sign of shock when he was asked if mothers consumed it for its nutritious qualities. “I haven’t heard of such a thing in India. Although this belief has existed with many cultures, it is strange that people today consume the placenta,” replied Dr. Nigam.
Among those who find this idea effective and not appalling are the Vietnamese and Chinese, who subscribe to the views of their age-old tradition, and have found interesting ways of consuming the placenta. The Chinese drink it as a broth after boiling the placenta, while some crush it and eat the powder. Very recently, placenta capsules have also begun to be prepared by certain chefs on order. “In India, people are unaware of the fact that the placenta can be eaten. Also, there is still no concrete evidence to prove that consuming the placenta actually cures postnatal depression and other complications. Placenta contains blood, which might carry infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis. So, one must be aware of that as well before blindly following any belief,” was a piece of advice shared by Dr. Divya Bajaj, a consultant. Since science, technology and even culture in India is now being emulated from the West, one can never guess if all of those people who find this idea obnoxious today, might be relishing a placenta meal tomorrow!
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
Read these article :-
No comments:
Post a Comment