I am very excited to announce that we are now recruiting participants for our Placenta Vs Placebo research out of UNLV! The principal investigator for the research project is Dr. Daniel Benyshek, and Sharon Young is the main contact for the study. Please note that due to the fact we need to travel to the participants multiple times over the course of the study, the participants should be from the Las Vegas valley.
Please feel free to share this post! You can also download the PDF of the recruitment flyer here.
Thank you!
Jodi Selander
Participants Needed for Research Study:
Investigation of the Effects of Placentophagy on Postpartum Health and Recovery
Researchers at UNLV along with the web-based, maternity information and support group Placenta Benefits, are investigating the effects of placentophagy in postpartum women, and are seeking volunteers to take part in a research study. Participants who have decided to ingest their placenta postpartum, as well as participants who have decided not to ingest their placenta postpartum are needed.
Who can participate?
Females older than 18 years experiencing a normal pregnancy and who have never before ingested their placenta may be eligible to participate.
What will you be asked to do?
· If you have decided that you will ingest your placenta postpartum (have your placenta encapsulated as a postpartum supplement), you will be asked to:
o Answer general demographic and background questions
o Ingest a supplement postpartum that will be either your own encapsulated placenta or encapsulated vegetarian placebo. This supplement will be assigned randomly and you will not be told whether you are receiving your own encapsulated placenta or a vegetarian placebo. If you are given the placebo, your placenta capsules will be provided to you at the final meeting at three weeks postpartum.
o Meet with a research team member once during your third trimester of pregnancy and three times postpartum where you will be asked to:
§ complete a questionnaire about your psychological, physiological, and emotional experiences across late pregnancy and the postpartum period, and recent diet
§ provide blood, saliva, urine, hair, and placenta samples for hormone, nutrient, and environmental metal analysis (hair and placenta samples will only be collected one time)
· If you have decided not to ingest your placenta postpartum, you will be asked to:
o Answer general demographic and background questions
o Some participants will receive an iron supplement to take for three weeks after giving birth
o Meet with a research team member once during your third trimester of pregnancy and three times postpartum where you will be asked to:
§ complete a questionnaire about your psychological, physiological, and emotional experiences across late pregnancy and the postpartum period, and recent diet
§ provide blood, saliva, urine, and hair samples for hormone, nutrient, and environmental metal analysis (hair sample will only be collected one time)
How long will it take?
Your participation will begin at 36 weeks gestation and will end during the third week postpartum, with meetings at 36 weeks of pregnancy, within 72 hours postpartum, the fifth day postpartum, and during the third week postpartum. Each meeting should last no longer than 90 minutes, and you will be compensated for your time.
What do I do?
In order to participate, or for more information about this study, contact Sharon Young through email at smith232@unlv.nevada.edu, or by phone at 702-983-0386, or Laura Gryder at gryderl@unlv.nevada.edu.
If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please contact Dr. Daniel Benyshek at 702-895-2070, or email daniel.benyshek@unlv.edu.