Here's Why You Should Rethink Your Decision to Eat Your Placenta

If you were thinking about taking placenta pills postbirth, you might want to reconsider after an Oregon mother passed an infection to her newborn shortly after ingesting pills made from the organ.

According to the Associated Press, the connection was made once health officials linked the baby's two cases of strep throat to bacteria found in the pills.

Although the practice has become more commonplace among mothers in recent years, experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned against the practice in its June 30 newsletter. The report stated: "Three days after the infant's birth, the mother had received the dehydrated, encapsulated placenta and began ingesting two capsules three times daily. The physician instructed the mother to stop consuming the capsules. A sample of the capsules was cultured, yielding penicillin-sensitive, clindamycin-sensitive GBS." Thankfully, the Oregon baby was treated with antibiotics and is well on his way to recovery.

Some new moms believe eating their placenta may help with breastfeeding and postpartum depression, but this incident proves it's best to err on the side of caution when it comes to your little one's health.