Overview

• Vick Hope announced plans to consume capsules made from her dehydrated placenta following the home birth of her son, Micah.
• Placenta encapsulation services charge around £250 to steam, dehydrate and grind the organ into supplement pills without formal oversight.
• Medical experts assert there is no scientific basis for health improvements from placentophagy and note the possibility of bacterial or heavy metal contamination.
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning in 2017 after a newborn developed a group B streptococcus infection linked to maternal placenta pill consumption.
• Limited placebo-controlled studies have observed minor hormone fluctuations and small mood benefits in some women but remain inconclusive on wider postpartum effects.