Pica

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Pica

Subjects > Health

Do you have an appetite for chalk? You could be suffering from Pica, the name for the craving of non food items such as dirt, clay, chalk, paint chips, cornstarch, baking soda, coffee grounds, cigarette ashes, rust, plastic, etc.

Pica comes from the Latin word for "magpie", because they are bird that s famous for feeding on whatever it finds.

Pregnant women can tend to develop Pica when their diets are deficient in certain minerals. In some places in the United States it is so common that chalk is sold for consumption. There is also belief that eating clay will help prevent the common problem of morning sickness.

Pica can also be associated with certain psychiatric disurbances, or emntal retardation. It can run in families. It is ore common in children than adults, but is not diagnosed as pica until the child is between 2 and 6 years of age.

It is not considered to be an eating disorder.

There are also certain ethnic customs which include the eating of non-toxic non-food substances.

Generally, Pica is not harmful unless the substances craved are toxic or contaminated.

Cultural Need To Eat Chalk

“Eating kaolin B also known as chalk or white dirt B in the central Piedmont area of Georgia may be a culture-bound syndrome. Within the culture, eating kaolin is thought to be a remedy for cravings during pregnancy. Unfortunately, kaolin can actually be quite harmful. In cases where pregnant women said they eat kaolin, the habit often caused anemia and constipation.” - Southern Medical Journal

Treatments For Pica

The treatment for pica depends on the cause.

• Nutritional - Iron and Zinc are two nutrient deficiencies most likely in individuals with pica. Sometimes calcium deficiency is also a cause. Diet supplements tend to be effective in controlling the pica.

• Psychological - Unless developmental disabilities are involved, the treatments are usually medical or behavioural.

• Punishment - Pica is usually treatable with less drastic measures, although sometimes punishment is effective.

Sites About The Pica:

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