POOLE hospital has been accused of handing over new mums' placentas for research which could include the development of skin creams and shampoo.

For at least five years, the hospital has harvested consenting women's placentas and delivered them to biochemical company Sigma-Aldrich, which then extracts valuable proteins to sell to laboratories.

In return, the company makes an annual donation to the hospital which totalled £5,000 last year alone.

While mothers must sign a consent form to allow their afterbirth to be used, they are told it will go to research into deadly diseases such as cancer and HIV/Aids.

But it has now emerged some of the extracted substances can be used for cosmetic research.

Poole mum Donna Norman, 39, has spoken of her outrage at the realisation the placenta from the birth of fourth child, Milly, could have been used to develop products such as anti-wrinkle cream. She told a national newspaper: "I was under the impression my placenta would only be used for vital medical research, not that it may help make some skin cream or shampoo.

"I feel violated by what I have been through. It feels like they stole it because it was all done on false pretences. It's from my body. It's my DNA and I feel like they tricked it from me."

Mrs Norman, who works in publishing, said she signed a "complicated" consent form after giving birth. "I would never have signed had I known the truth of what was happening," she added.

Pauline Malins, director of communications at Poole Hospital, said the hospital had not been aware of the potential cosmetic uses of the placentas.

She added: "We have spoken to Sigma-Aldrich already and asked them to revise the consent form so it is more explicit. We partook in the scheme on the understanding that the placentas would be used for medical research."

She added mothers were given information about the process during ante-natal care and placentas were only ever taken with their consent.

She added: "We do receive a donation for this service, but we are not paid for it as such. The distinction is that even if we didn't receive a donation, we would still offer mothers the opportunity to donate their placentas for research, rather than have them incinerated."

Sigma-Aldrich, which has a facility in Fancy Road, Poole, denied its human placental by-products are used in the manufacture of any cosmetic products, but a spokesman admitted they may be used in their development and testing.

Malcolm Shaw, the firm's regulatory affairs manager, said: "We sell products purely for research and analytical use. However they could be used in cosmetic research."

  • Placenta material contains high levels of proteins and enzymes which can be extracted and turned into chemical compounds and sold to laboratories. This includes collagen - which can be used in anti-wrinkle creams and hair products. It can cost more than £1,200 a gram.

Alkaline Phosphatase is another by-product which has been used to create a compound to restore the strength of ageing skin. EU law bans the sale of cosmetics containing such human biological products, but not their use in cosmetic research.