Placentas serve a critical biological role during pregnancy, but they’re also used in a surprisingly wide range of medical applications after delivery. From wound healing grafts and eye surgery to stem cell research and cosmetic products, placental tissue has become a valuable material in modern medicine. Some people also consume their own placenta after birth, though the evidence behind that practice tells a different story than its popularity might suggest.
What the Placenta Does During Pregnancy
The placenta is a temporary organ that forms during pregnancy and acts as the lifeline between mother and baby. It transfers oxygen, sugar, and nutrients from the mother’s blood to the fetus through the umbilical cord, while filtering out carbon dioxide and waste products in the other direction. Crucially, it does all of this without ever mixing the two bloodstreams.
Beyond transport, the placenta functions as a hormone factory. It produces human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone pregnancy tests detect, which signals the body to keep making progesterone and maintain the uterine lining. It also releases estrogen, which triggers uterine growth and prepares the breasts for milk production, along with relaxin, which loosens ligaments and muscles for delivery. Another hormone, placental growth hormone, helps regulate how the fetus develops. As delivery approaches, the placenta passes antibodies from the mother’s immune system to the baby, giving the newborn a starter kit of immune protection.
Wound Healing and Surgical Grafts
One of the most established medical uses of placental tissue is as a wound dressing. The amniotic membrane, the thin inner lining of the placenta, is widely used to treat chronic wounds, burns, and a condition called toxic epidermal necrolysis where the skin blisters and peels. In a retrospective analysis of 117 patients treated with placental grafts, the wounds included diabetic foot ulcers (34%), venous leg ulcers (25%), surgical wounds (20%), bedsores (14%), and wounds from poor blood flow (6%). Complete healing occurred in over 91% of treated patients, who received grafts about five times weekly on average.
The membrane works so well partly because it calms inflammation at the wound site. It contains natural anti-inflammatory compounds and triggers the cleanup of immune cells that would otherwise prolong swelling. This anti-inflammatory effect also indirectly prevents excessive scarring, making the tissue especially useful for burns and other injuries where scar formation is a major concern. The membrane accelerates tissue remodeling, essentially helping the body rebuild skin in a more organized way.
Eye Surgery and Corneal Repair
Ophthalmologists use amniotic membrane as a biological bandage for damaged eyes. When the surface of the eye is injured or diseased, the membrane can be transplanted onto the cornea, where its growth factors and structural proteins promote repair of the outermost cell layer. It reduces inflammation, limits scarring, and provides a scaffold that supports the eye’s own healing process. This application is well established in treating corneal ulcers and reconstructing damaged eye surfaces.
Stem Cells From Placental Tissue
The placenta is a rich source of a type of stem cell that can develop into various tissue types. These cells have several practical advantages over the more commonly known bone marrow stem cells. Collecting them requires no invasive procedure since the placenta is already being discarded after birth, which also sidesteps the ethical debates that surround some other stem cell sources. Once collected, placental stem cells multiply readily in the lab and maintain their ability to transform into different cell types longer than bone marrow cells typically do.
These cells also have strong immune-modulating properties, meaning they’re less likely to trigger rejection when used in treatments. Because the placenta’s biological job involves maintaining tolerance between two genetically different beings (mother and fetus), its cells are naturally equipped to dampen immune reactions. Researchers are exploring their use in neurological disorders, where early studies show placenta-derived stem cells can stimulate nerve regeneration by promoting the growth of axons, the long fibers that carry signals between nerve cells, and restoring neuronal activity.
Cosmetics and Hair Loss Products
Placental extracts appear in skincare and hair care products, marketed for anti-aging and hair regrowth benefits. The logic is straightforward: placental tissue is packed with growth factors that stimulate cell proliferation, including vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor, both of which play roles in tissue repair and cell turnover.
The clinical evidence, however, is thin. A systematic review of placental products for hair loss found only three clinical trials that met basic quality standards, and all three used animal-derived placenta (from cows, horses, or pigs) rather than human tissue. One randomized trial found a bovine placenta hair tonic performed comparably to a standard hair loss treatment in women. Another showed a porcine extract sped up regrowth of shaved hair. But the overall evidence quality was rated low to very low. Growth factors from umbilical cord extracts can accelerate the proliferation of hair follicle cells in lab settings, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to visible results from a shampoo or serum.
Lab Models for Drug Safety Testing
One of the newer applications involves building miniature replicas of the placenta on microchips. These “placenta-on-a-chip” models use human cells to recreate the layered structure of placental tissue inside a tiny device with flowing fluid that mimics blood circulation. Researchers can then expose the model to substances and watch what happens, without any risk to a pregnant person.
In one study, researchers introduced copper oxide nanoparticles (found in some industrial and consumer products) into a placenta-on-a-chip to simulate what might happen if a pregnant person were exposed. The nanoparticles interfered with cell development, reduced hormone production, impaired sugar transport, and triggered inflammatory responses including immune cell activation and damage to the blood vessel lining. This kind of testing platform allows scientists to evaluate potential risks of chemicals, drugs, and nanomaterials during pregnancy in ways that would be impossible with human subjects.
Eating the Placenta: What the Evidence Shows
Placentophagy, the practice of consuming one’s own placenta after birth (typically freeze-dried and put into capsules), has grown in popularity based on claims that it prevents postpartum depression, boosts energy, improves milk production, replenishes iron, and enhances bonding. A comprehensive review of 10 published studies conducted by researchers at Northwestern University found no data to support any of these claims.
The lactation claim is particularly telling. In one older study, 210 women given freeze-dried placenta reported increased milk production, but a comparison group given freeze-dried beef reported the same improvement. The placenta offered no advantage over ordinary protein. Meanwhile, the potential risks remain largely unstudied. The placenta filters toxins throughout pregnancy, and how much mercury, selenium, or other metals remain in the tissue after processing is unknown. The organ can also harbor infections. The NIH has noted that no studies have been conducted specifically to evaluate whether eating the placenta carries health risks.
Regulation and Safety Concerns
The FDA regulates products made from human placental tissue. When these products are used in medical procedures like wound grafts or eye surgery, they go through a formal review process that verifies their safety, quality, and effectiveness. Donors must be screened for communicable diseases including HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, with blood samples collected within seven days of tissue recovery.
The concern is with unregulated products. The FDA has issued warnings about unapproved human tissue products marketed online for a wide range of conditions. In one case, a patient death was reported after self-injection with an imported placental tissue product that had not been approved by the FDA. The agency has stated that such products are generally regulated as drugs and biological products, and that entities selling them without approval may face legal action including seizure and injunction. If you encounter a placenta-derived product being sold as a treatment or cure, the distinction between an FDA-reviewed medical product and an unregulated supplement or injectable is a significant one.