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57. Does the placenta need to be buried?

After delivering a baby, the question may be raised whether the placenta or the umbilical cord needs to be buried following the birth. There was an ancient custom to bury the placenta, and of course this custom has roots in Halacha. However, the Alter Rebbe in Likkutei Torah discusses an example when a baby is born, where the shalya, the placenta, is discarded. There might be a distinction between the amniotic sack, the placenta, and the umbilical cord, as sometimes these terms are used interchangeably by Poskim. One should follow the particular local custom. Strictly speaking, according to Halacha, one does not have to bury any of those items.