Pica comes from the Latin word for "magpie," a bird known to eat nearly anything. Cravings can include dirt, chalk, ashes and paint. Children with pica normally grow out of it, but its effects can be shocking. An In Session viewer wrote to us about caring for a child with pica. She said the child "ate nearly an entire couch cushion."
Children with pica can ingest toxic materials that might affect their development. Calista's parents say she might have gotten lead poisoning from eating paint chips as a child. Pica can also show up in pregnant women, making their cravings go way beyond pickles and ice cream.
One of our In Session writers said she knew a mom-to-be who had an appetite for chalk and baking soda. Stunned by this anecdote, we checked the forums on several pregnancy websites and found that expectant mothers have also fought the urge to eat sand and even lick dust off of walls. There are several theories as to what causes pica. One of the most common we've found is iron deficiency.
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter