Placenta capsules give birth to controversial health trend

Carrying a refrigerated plastic bag, a salesman appears and greets a customer.

"You're lucky. We obtained it yesterday," he says.

One placenta can be made into more than 100 capsules, he explains. Most customers use their own and pay around 150 yuan (24 U.S. dollars) for processing. The fees are doubled if the workshop has to provide the placenta, which he "collects" from local hospitals.

Xia Hongwei, a doctor with the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said fewer mothers are giving up their placenta after giving birth.

Most people opt for encapsulation, in which the placenta is steamed, dehydrated and ground into powder to make it easier to swallow.

"They have realized that placentas are good. Even pharmaceutical companies extract hormones and proteins from placentas for medical use," Xia said.

Li Mei, who recently gave birth, believes the practice is a natural remedy and worth trying.

"I ate placenta capsules and felt much better after giving birth to my son," she said.

Supporters say it helps new mothers increase milk supply and fight off postpartum depression. For the old and the sick, it helps regain energy.

However, controversy surrounds the beneficial effects, safety and ethics of the act.

Cai Yan, head of the obstetric department at the Fourth Hospital affiliated to Harbin Medical University, said she has no problem with patients who want to take placenta capsules, though she warns that there are no clinical trials or scientific research to back their effectiveness.

Meanwhile, the process involved in the production of capsules presents potential health risks. "If the mother carries viruses like hepatitis B or HIV, they may be left over in placentas," Cai said.

Opponents also argue it's unethical.