Pica - a childhood eating disorder
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Q. My nephew who is about 1 1/2 yrs. old is always picking up screws, bolts, anything metal, etc..., and rocks to eat. Does this mean that something is wrong or is it just a bad habit? Could he be lacking something?
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A. It sounds like he may have pica (PI-kuh), which is a disorder in which children crave or eat non-food substances, like rocks, clay, hair, etc. Other children with pica eat paper, cardboard, or even the stuffing from furniture.
While it isn't known what causes pica, these children may have some kind of nutritional deficiency, especially a deficiency of iron or zinc. Since he drinks a lot of milk and doesn't have a 'healthy diet,' he may very well also be suffering from iron deficiency anemia.
In addition to providing him with a safe environment, so that there aren't any screws or bolts for him to pick up and swallow, he should see his Pediatrician for an evaluation. Along with a physical exam. If you think that he may have swallowed some of the things that he puts in his mouth, a chest and abdominal x-ray may also be a good idea.
Since toddlers do tend to normally put things in their mouth, if everything is normal in his evaluation with his Pediatrician and he doesn't do it all of the time, then it may just be a habit that he will outgrow. In an older child, like over 3 or 4 years, this behavior would clearly be identified as pica, but it is harder to make a diagnosis in a toddler.
A school age child with concsistant and strange eating habits should see a child psychologist to be assessed for Pica which may have a psychological component to it.
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A. It sounds like he may have pica (PI-kuh), which is a disorder in which children crave or eat non-food substances, like rocks, clay, hair, etc. Other children with pica eat paper, cardboard, or even the stuffing from furniture.
While it isn't known what causes pica, these children may have some kind of nutritional deficiency, especially a deficiency of iron or zinc. Since he drinks a lot of milk and doesn't have a 'healthy diet,' he may very well also be suffering from iron deficiency anemia.
In addition to providing him with a safe environment, so that there aren't any screws or bolts for him to pick up and swallow, he should see his Pediatrician for an evaluation. Along with a physical exam. If you think that he may have swallowed some of the things that he puts in his mouth, a chest and abdominal x-ray may also be a good idea.
Since toddlers do tend to normally put things in their mouth, if everything is normal in his evaluation with his Pediatrician and he doesn't do it all of the time, then it may just be a habit that he will outgrow. In an older child, like over 3 or 4 years, this behavior would clearly be identified as pica, but it is harder to make a diagnosis in a toddler.
A school age child with concsistant and strange eating habits should see a child psychologist to be assessed for Pica which may have a psychological component to it.
Labels: children, eating disorder, family, infant safety, pica, self esteem