‘We are aware that a number of women are choosing umbilical non-severance, known as lotus birth, and this is something we would discourage,’ says consultant obstetrician Pat O’Brien, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

‘If you wanted to pick an environment that encourages bacteria to grow you probably could not do better than to leave the placenta attached after birth.

‘Soon after the baby is born there is no longer any circulation in the placenta, so it’s dead tissue and full of blood, making it the perfect culture medium for bacteria.