St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor (Mich.) Hospital partnered with the nonprofit Gift of Life Michigan to create a placenta donation program, according to local news station WWJ.
Through the program, mothers with a planned cesarean section can donate both their placenta and the umbilical cord. Since the program began this summer, 13 placentas have been donated.
Donor placentas are commonly used to help heal injuries that lack enough skin to close, such as trauma wounds and diabetic ulcers, Becky Kanak, RN, a nurse at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, told WWJ. They can also be used in gum and eye surgeries, Ms. Kanak added.
St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor is the only hospital in Michigan offering placenta donation through Gift of Life Michigan, but the program is expected to expand to other hospitals.