Where do all the placentas go?

Re-examining the disposal of placentas as pathological waste is suggested by the author. Placentas can be reprocessed safely for the production of blood derivatives necessary for human treatment by following accepted infection control guidelines in collection, transportation and reprocessing in approved medical laboratories. Money can be saved by removing placentas from the pathological waste stream. Historically, infection control reasons have often been cited as the rationale for preventing changes in the perinatal area. It may be time for infection control teams, administrators and obstetrical staff to review the ethical, legal and infection control issues related to disposal of placentas.