Lotus birth

Lotus birth (or umbilical cord nonseverance - UCNS) is the practice of leaving the umbilical cord uncut after childbirth so that the baby is left attached to the placenta until the cord naturally separates at the umbilicus.[1] This usually occurs within 3–10 days after birth.[2] The practice is performed mainly for spiritual purposes, including for the perceived spiritual connection between the placenta and the newborn.[3]

Intact umbilicus one hour postpartum, an extended-delayed cord severance

As of December 2008, no evidence exists to support any medical benefits for the baby.[4] The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has warned about the risks of infection[4] as the decomposing placenta tissue becomes a nest for infectious bacteria such as Staphylococcus. In one such case a 20-hour old baby whose parents chose the ritual of UCNS was brought to the hospital in an agonal state, was diagnosed with sepsis and required an antibiotic treatment for 6 weeks.[5][6]

History

Although recently arisen as an alternative birth phenomenon in the West, super-delayed (1+ hours post-birth) umbilical severance is common in home births.

Early American pioneers, in written diaries and letters, reported practicing nonseverance of the umbilicus as a preventative measure, as they believed it protected the infant from an open wound infection.[7]

Modern practice
Jeannine Parvati Baker, yoga master

In the 1980s, yoga master and midwife Jeannine Parvati Baker was the main advocate for the practice in the United States.[2]

The practice spread to Australia by a midwife, Shivam Rachana, founder of the International College of Spiritual Midwifery and author of the book Lotus Birth.[8]

In the full lotus birth clinical protocol, the umbilical cord, which is attached to the baby's navel and placenta, is not clamped nor cut. The baby is immediately placed on the mother's belly/chest (depending on the length of the cord) or kept in close proximity to the mother in cases when medically necessary procedures such as resuscitation may be needed. Lotus birth, after the placenta is born vaginally (often with the maternal informed choice for passive management of third stage allowing for natural detachment of the placenta within appropriate time allowed for it, with no hormonal injections such as oxytocin) or via cesarean section.[9]

Following birth, the placenta is simply put in a bowl or quickly wrapped in absorbent toweling and placed near the mother-baby. Caregivers step back to allow for undisturbed maternal-child bonding to occur as the primary event for an hour or more. It is only after this initial intense bonding period that the placenta is managed by rinsing, drying, applying preservatives, and positioning it in a way that allows for plentiful air circulation and proximity to the baby. Organs that are separated from their blood supply begin to rot within minutes, and the placenta is prone to infection.[10] Over time, the cord dries and detaches from the baby's belly. This generally occurs 3–10 days postpartum.[11][2] This practice requires the mother and baby to be home bound as they wait for the decomposing flesh of the placenta and umbilical cord to dry and separate from the baby.[12]

Spiritual
Postpartum water immersion shortly after home birth, with umbilical nonseverance

Relation to nature

In the animal world, the placenta is usually consumed by the mother. This is called placentophagy. Primates have been observed keeping the placenta attached to their newborns for a longer period. Primatologist Jane Goodall, who was the first person to conduct long-term studies of chimpanzees in the wild, reported that they did not chew or cut their offspring's cords, instead leaving the umbilicus intact, like many other monkeys.[13] Other researchers report that chimpanzees consume placentas after birth.[14] Though other mammals may sever their offspring's cords, they only do so after initial maternal sensory reception, unwinding of the cord, massage/cleaning (through touch), and initiation of nursing. [15] This has been observed to last at least one hour, if left undisturbed.

Energy

Pseudo-scientific proponents of lotus births view the baby and the placenta as one on a cellular level, as they are from the same source, the egg and sperm conceptus. They also assert that the newborn and the placenta exist within the same quantum field, thus influencing various expressions of quantum mechanics that influence health.[16] They claim transfers of energy & cellular information continue to take place, moving gradually from the tissue of the placenta to the baby during the drying process. Scientists challenge this claim of a metaphysical dimension related to quantum mechanics.[17]

Medicine
Location of fetus and placenta in the uterus

Lotus births are an extremely rare practice in hospitals.[3]

Risks

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has stated, "If left for a period of time after the birth, there is a risk of infection in the placenta which can consequently spread to the baby. The placenta is particularly prone to infection as it contains blood. At the post-delivery stage, it has no circulation and is essentially dead tissue," and the RCOG strongly recommends that any baby that undergoes lotus birthing be monitored closely for infection.[4]

Other risks include Jaundice caused by abnormally high bilirubin and Polycythemia, which is an abnormally high percentage of red blood cells in circulation [18]

Currently, there are no statistics which show how many woman choose lotus birth. Case descriptions about adverse medical conditions related to this praxis are emerging, indicating severity of potential complications [19][20]

References
  1. 1955-, Walsh, Denis (January 1, 2007). Evidence-based care for normal labour and birth : a guide for midwives. Routledge. ISBN 978-0415418904. OCLC 156908214.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. Bindley, Katherine (April 12, 2013). "Lotus Birth: Does Not Cutting The Umbilical Cord Benefit Baby?". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  3. Burns, Emily (Winter 2014). "More Than Clinical Waste? Placenta Rituals Among Australian Home-Birthing Women". The Journal of Perinatal Education. 23 (1): 41–49. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.23.1.41. PMC 3894590. PMID 24453467.
  4. "RCOG statement on umbilical non-severance or "lotus birth"". Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. December 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  5. Ittleman, Benjamin R.; German, Kendell R.; Scott, Emily; Walker, Valencia; Flaherman, Valerie J.; Szabo, Joanne; Beavers, Jessica B. (2019). "Umbilical Cord Nonseverance and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes". Clinical Pediatrics. 58 (2): 238–240. doi:10.1177/0009922818805243. PMID 30280596. S2CID 52912265.
  6. MD, Amy Tuteur (December 19, 2018). "Lotus birth leaves a newborn critically ill with a heart infection". The Skeptical OB. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  7. Leavitt, Judith Walzer. Brought to Bed: Childbearing in America, 1750 to 1950. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986 pp.21-37
  8. Hansen, Jane (June 23, 2013). "Risky new trend of lotus birth". The Sunday Telegraph.
  9. stats
  10. Gunter, Jennifer (August 30, 2017). "A lotus birth is leaving a newborn attached to a decomposing placenta". Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  11. Integral Life Practice: A 21st-Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual Awakening. Wilber, Patton, Leonard, Morelli. Integral Books, 2008. ISBN 1590304675
  12. Senapathy, Kavin (April 13, 2018). "Lotus Birth". Skeptical Inquirer. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019.
  13. See In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall.
  14. Fujisawa, Michiko, et al. "Placentophagy in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Bossou, Guinea." Primates 57.2 (2016): 175-180.
  15. Human Birth: An Evolutionary Perspective. Wenda Trevathan PhD, Univ of New Mexico Press, 2011. ISBN 1412815029
  16. The New Physics of Healing lecture, Harvard Medical School, Deepak Chopra MD, Cambridge, MA ISBN 156455919X , Audio recording.
  17. Stenger, Victor (January 1997). "Quantum Quackery". Skeptical Inquirer. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  18. "Lotus births are trending….and they're probably a terrible idea". Pure Wow. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  20. Tricarico, Antonella, et al. "Lotus birth associated with idiopathic neonatal hepatitis." Pediatrics & Neonatology 58.3 (2017): 281-282.

Further reading
  • Buckley MD., Sarah. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, Australia, 2006
  • Davies RN, Leap RN, McDonald. Examination of the Newborn & Neonatal Health: A Multidimensional Approach, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2008. ISBN 0-443-10339-9
  • Lim CPM, Robin. After the Baby's Birth: A Complete Guide for Postpartum Women, Ten Speed Press, U.S. 2001
  • Parvati Baker, Jeannine. Prenatal Yoga & Natural Childbirth, North Atlantic Books, U.S., 2001
  • Trevathan, Wenda. Human Birth: An Evolutionary Perspective, Univ. of New Mexico Press, 2011
  • World Health Organization (WHO). Care in normal birth: A practical guide, report of a technical working group, Geneva, Switzerland, 1997
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