Re: [ozmidwifery] Placenta and post natal depression

[Veronica Herbert]

Dear Carol, Yep you are right there is no current research into this topic at all!!!! Very frustrating... but I am still pursuing the topic as I find it very fascinating.  I have decided to do a Qualitative study entitled "Placentophagy - Personal experiences of an 'unmentionable' practice" in which I will interview 5 women who have undertaken placentophagy. Now as for the lit review, I think I will have to make close links to other alternative practices such as Lotus births. Not sure if I can stretch to the 1500 word lit review but will give it a shot!!! It is my understanding that in the lit review you also critique other research and I can point out the limitations in the research. from Veronica (Midwifery Student, University of Ballarat). ----- Original Message ----- From: Carol Thorogood To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 3:31 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Placenta and post natal depression Dear Veronica Congratulations on your venture. My e-mail isn't very positive I'm afraid. I don't want to discourage you but..... There are no valid research studies that show that eating the placenta has any beneficial effects.  There are a few anecdotal studies which refer to its beneficial effects but in terms of evidence based midwifery there is nothing useful in the literature.  So, if you have to do a literature review for your research proposal it will be  awfully thin. However, there are a few women who eat it and swear by it but it'd be awfully hard to prove. So, my advice is to find something that others have done so you'll have lots to talk about in the proposal.  Alternatively you could set up a randomised controlled trial to see if it has an effect in reducing the incidence of PND. But that would be awfully hard to do and you'd probably need a couple of thousand women who are prepared to eat their placentas and then match them with a couple of thousand who don't.  It all sounds too hard to me!  Anyway good luck and have fun. Carol Carol Thorogood Visiting Midwifery Scholar School of Nursing and Midwifery Flinders University, Adelaide, 5001 Telephone: 08 8201 3924 Fax:           08 8201 3410