![]() Medical management is multimodal in nature. There is no specific medical treatment and the condition often remits spontaneously. Along with this, close supervision of the child by the parents, and making sure that the home-environment is safe for the child are additional measures. Children may be afraid of disclosing pica because of embarrassment or fear of being punished.Įducating the parents and child about the dangers associated with placing objects in the mouth is the basic step. Obstruction from an indigestible mass that may cause choking or perforate the stomach or intestine and result in peritonitis is also a possibility.Įxcept in circumstances involving children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, most cases of pica are easily diagnosed from history from parents. The potential for parasitic infections with sequelae of myocarditis, encephalitis and hepatomegaly, and brain damage by intoxicants such as lead from paints and mercury from paper is of immediate concern. There can be immediate and long-term effects on health due to pica. ![]() It is important to distinguish between stereotyped mouthing of objects by very young children who accidentally ingest them and pica as a behavioral disorder. Anxiety disorders such as hysteria and obsessive compulsive disorder also have been implicated. Pica may also be explained by this hypothesis whereby genetic disorders such as Prader-Willi syndrome increase the risk of ingesting nonfood substances. Pica is also perceived as a sensory activity that the child experiences as stimulating or pleasant. Children may learn to engage in pica because it provokes adult attention ( positive reinforcement) or allows escape from a non-preferred activity ( negative reinforcement). ![]() It is most frequently observed in those with severe and profound intellectual disability. Pica is the most common eating disorder in children with developmental disability. There is a higher incidence of pica among children with many developmental disabilities. However, the prevalence of dietary and mineral deficiencies in children with pica is similar to those without this habit. These children get involved in pica to satisfy the craving. Some studies have shown that iron and zinc deficiency increase the craving for nonfood substances. In some cultures there is a custom of eating soil for different illnesses, e.g., morning sickness, which leads to the perception that there is nothing wrong with pica. To describe this behavior various have been proposed: Mental disorders found to have persistent pica more commonly associated with them include pervasive developmental disorders, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, Kleine-Levin syndrome.Ĭhildren who continue to eat non-food substances on a consistent basis after their 2nd birthday should be evaluated for pica, as well as the presence of developmental disability and a variety of medical conditions with the serious health risks that accompany chronic ingestion of nonfood substance.Ĭause of pica is unknown. The early developmental habit of mouthing objects as an exploratory behavior disappears by 2 years of age. PrevalenceĪccording to some studies, 10–32% children in the age group of 1–6 years exhibit pica, although an Indian study reported 2% occurrence in those younger than 3 years. Ingesting sharp objects such as nails, screws or potentially toxic substances such as medicine, dishwashing fluid can lead to far more serious and potentially life-threatening consequences. This eating disorder commonly includes ingestion of dirt, clay, pebbles, chalk, paper, string, ashes, crayons and plastic objects. The term pica is usually held to come from the Latin word for magpie ( picus) referring to the indiscriminate feeding habits of these birds.
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