placentophagy

thumb|Placental morphologies of varying placental mammals alt=|thumb|Mother goat engaging in placentophagy Placentophagy, also known as placentophagia, is the act of consuming part or all of the afterbirth following parturition in mammals. Parturition involves the delivery of the neonate, as well as the placenta and fetal membranes. The placenta is a critical organ that develops in the maternal uterus during pregnancy to support the fetus. It connects to the fetus via the umbilical cord in order to allow nutrient transport, waste excretion and gas exchange between mother and fetus. The morphological features of the placenta differ among species, but the function is universal. The behaviour is characteristic to the mother of the majority of placental mammals. Significant documentation has been provided on placentophagy in a range of animals.

Anomalies generally include humans and aquatic species, as well as camels. However, the concept is becoming more popular among women in the West, despite its controversial overtone.