'Lotus births' explained as doula issues serious warning over risky little-known birth practice
For many parents, cutting the umbilical cord is a natural part of welcoming a newborn into the world. But for those choosing lotus birth, the separation doesn't happen straight away.
Instead, the baby remains attached to the placenta for several days until it separates naturally. But is it beneficial for the baby, as some people claim, or could it pose a potential health risk?
A lotus birth involves leaving the umbilical cord and placenta attached to the baby until they separate naturally, which usually happens three to 10 days later, Healthline reports. However, even this aspect of lotus birth is not set in stone.
While it is touted as a healthy alternative, there is no scientific or medical evidence supporting any physical or health benefits.
Advert
A doula on TikTok issued a warning to parents in response to a video showing the aftermath of a lotus birth.
“This has so many risks and it is not worth the risks,” says @wickardschatz on TikTok.
'There are no benefits to keeping a baby attached to its placenta'
“Your baby is attached to a decaying organ. It is an organ that is just dead. There are no benefits after a few minutes of the baby being born.
"There are no benefits after that cord stops pulsing and it goes completely white. There are no benefits to keeping a baby attached to its placenta.”
She warns that a lotus birth could put babies at risk of developing sepsis, while a similar warning by WebMD focused on the risk of infection stating that a placenta post-birth will no longer have a blood supply and will 'be made of dead tissue'.
The medical platform states: "This makes the placenta susceptible to an infection. If this happens, the baby will also get an infection."
Some people also report applying herbs to the placenta as it dries out.
Delayed cord clamping vs lotus birth
Usually, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut shortly after a baby is born to detach them from the placenta. However, the World Health Organization recommends delaying cord clamping for one to three minutes after birth to allow blood to continue circulating from the placenta to the baby.
Delayed cord clamping is linked to several benefits, including increased haemoglobin levels, improved red blood cell volume and circulation, and better iron stores during the first few months after birth.
However, since there is no research specifically examining lotus births, it is unclear whether following this practice offers any additional benefits.
One suggestion is that delayed cord clamping provides the benefits often claimed by supporters of lotus birth without the need to keep the placenta attached for several days.
Crucially, delayed cord clamping and lotus birth are not the same practice. Delayed clamping allows placental blood to pass to the baby before the cord is cut, whereas lotus birth involves leaving the placenta attached for days.
The 'natural birth movement
Supporters of lotus birth typically associate it with the 'natural birth' movement, which advocates limited medical intervention. Some claim it reduces the risk of infection, although these assertions are anecdotal and are not supported by scientific research.
Other claimed benefits include providing a gentler transition for the baby into the world, allowing them to receive more blood and nourishment from the placenta, reducing injury to the belly button and honouring the connection between the baby and the placenta.
Meanwhile, one potential risk of lotus birth is that it could increase the risk of infection, according to Healthline, because the placenta becomes a 'dead organ with stagnant blood' after birth.
Once the baby is born, blood flow to the placenta stops. The placenta then becomes non-functioning tissue that is vulnerable to infection. As it remains attached to the baby, any infection in the placenta can potentially spread to the baby.
Greg Harris
