The term pica originates in the Latin word for magpie, pīca, a bird famed for its unusual eating behaviors and believed to eat almost anything. The Latin may have been a translation of a Greek word meaning both ‘magpie, jay’ and ‘pregnancy craving, craving for strange food’.
What are the 3 types of pica?
Pica in humans has many different subgroups, defined by the substance that is ingested. Some of the most commonly described types of pica are eating earth, soil, or clay (geophagia); ice (pagophagia); and starch (amylophagia).
What are the main causes of pica?
- Cultural or learned behaviors.
- Stress or anxiety.
- Negative conditions during childhood.
- Nutritional deficiencies.
- Mental health conditions.
- Medical conditions.
- Certain medications increase the risk of someone developing pica or similar behaviors.
What is a pica behavior?
Pica is an eating disorder in which a person eats things not usually considered food. Young kids often put non-food items (like grass or toys) in their mouths because they’re curious about the world around them. But kids with pica (PIE-kuh) go beyond that. Sometimes they eat things that can lead to health problems.
How do you deal with pica?
Iron-deficiency anemia and malnutrition are two of the most common pica causes. Thus, pica cravings are signs that the body is seeking additional nutrients. In these cases, vitamins, supplements, and a healthy diet can therefore correct pica.
How does pica affect the brain?
[15] suggested that a failure to recognize objects might account for the eating of inedible objects. Ikeda [16] also suggested that pica might be related to semantic memory deficits. These reports suggest that pica might be associated with temporal lobe damage and relevant semantic memory deficits.
What are signs of pica?
- Nausea.
- Pain or abdominal cramping in the stomach.
- Constipation.
- Diarrhea.
- Fatigue.
- Behavior problems.
- School problems.
Is pica a form of OCD?
Response of pica and other eating disorders as well as OCD to SSRIs implies that the serotonin system dysfunction was the underlying mechanism in these disorders. As a result this case is supportive data that pica can be a disorder in OCD spectrum.
Does pica cause weight gain?
Complications Associated With Pica Disorder Because the consumption of non-nutritive substances can overtake the desire to eat foods that support normal health, growth, and development, pica can lead to overall malnutrition, unintended weight loss.
What is pica and how is it treated?
Iron-deficiency anemia and malnutrition are two of the most common causes of pica, followed by pregnancy. In these individuals, pica is a sign that the body is trying to correct a significant nutrient deficiency. Treating this deficiency with medication or vitamins often resolves the problems.
How do you get pica?
What causes pica? There’s no single cause of pica. In some cases, a deficiency in iron, zinc, or another nutrient may be associated with pica. For example, anemia, usually from iron deficiency, may be the underlying cause of pica in pregnant women.
Is pica a genetic disorder?
Pica may also be explained by an organic hypothesis whereby the presence of a genetic disorder, such as Prader-Willi syndrome (a disorder characterized by hyperphagia), increases the risk of ingesting nonfood substances.
What are the long term effects of pica?
When Pica is long term it can result in bowel obstruction, bezoars, and even toxicity. Ingestion of dirt and paint can lead to infections and heavy metal toxicity. Many reports exist of people who have had to undergo surgery to relieve bowel obstruction, perforation, and ulcers.
Is pica a form of autism?
Pica, or the eating of non-food items, was commonly seen in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other types of developmental disabilities in which the child had some autism symptoms, intellectual disability (ID), or both.
How common is pica in adults?
There are some studies from the United States that shed light on pica prevalence: At an outpatient weight loss clinic, pica was present in 4% of men and women. 27.8–68% of pregnant women experience pica. Pica is present in 18.5% of children.
Can adults have pica?
Although it is a compulsive behavior, most adults with a pica do not have a psychologic disorder. The pica is usually a manifestation of an underlying medical condition, most often iron deficiency anemia. Yet compulsive eating, especially of inedible objects, can be a source of considerable embarrassment or ridicule.
Do kids grow out of pica?
Mouthing and swallowing non-food items is common behavior in many babies and toddlers. They do this as a way to explore and learn. Most children outgrow the behavior by 18 months of age. A child is labeled as having pica only when eating non-food items continues after this age.
Which doctor should I consult for pica?
Consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist is advisable. Consultation with a social worker is also helpful. A dentist may be consulted as well. Attention to oral health is important for managing the detrimental effects pica may have on teeth from a young age onward.
How do I know if my child has pica?
Your child regularly consumes non-food materials, even when you try to restrict access to them. The behavior is persistent and lasts longer than one month. The behavior is inappropriate for your child’s age or developmental stage (he or she is older than 18 to 24 months).
What causes pica kids?
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes pica. But it’s more common in people with: developmental problems, such as autism or intellectual disabilities. mental health problems, like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or schizophrenia.
When was pica first diagnosed?
Pica is an unusual craving for and ingestion of either edible or inedible substances. The condition has been described in medical journals for centuries [1–3]. One of the first cases of pica was noted in 6th century AD and was observed in a pregnant woman [1].
What does Pagophagia mean?
Pagophagia (compulsive ice chewing) is a particular form of pica that is characterized by ingestion of ice, freezer frost, or iced drinks. It is usually associated with iron deficiency anemia or mental abnormalities like intellectual disabilities, autism, etc.
How can I help my child with pica?
- Alert your healthcare providers.
- Tell teachers and other caregivers that your child has pica.
- Do your best to “pica-proof” your home.
- Enrich your child’s environment in other ways.
- Teach her to differentiate food from non-food.
- Consider working with a behavior specialist.
Is pica a symptom of schizophrenia?
Although pica is commonly associated with nutritional deficiencies, it is also observed in psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and less commonly in schizophrenia.
Why do I crave eating glass?
Well, this bizarre craving for non-food items may indicate a condition called pica. What is Pica? It is an eating disorder wherein one feels the compulsion to eat non-nutritive substances like soil, clay, chalk, charcoal, paint, paper, soap, glass, hair, ice, etc.