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Pica syndrome in babies7/27/2023 ![]() ![]() There are theories that suggest a relationship to iron or other mineral deficiencies, or even desperation among kids who are not given proper meals at home. Given the shame associated with the condition, medical studies are sparse. However, the precise pathophysiology of the syndrome is unknown. ![]() Young suggests that this craving is more common in the tropics, where pathogenic viruses and bacteria are more prevalent. In her book about the culture of eating clay (which goes as far back as biblical times), Sera L. Pica refers to “the persistent eating of substances that have no nutritional value,” and it’s most commonly associated with women who desire things like dirt or chalk during pregnancy (it’s been suggested this is because women may crave these specific substances to make up for missing mineral nutrients or to counteract nauseating toxins released during pregnancy). (Among my arsenal of standout tales is the time a friend’s 2-year-old son merrily noshed on a dehydrated pellet of fecal matter he’d adventurously discovered on the floor of an airplane restroom while wriggling away from his harried mom.)īut for some kids, the urge to eat inorganic objects can become an obsession stretching beyond the normal developmental stage of “oral fixation,” where anything from one’s own toes to the shiny fridge door may be nibbled or sucked. Talk to any parent and you’re bound to hear at least one horror story about “that time” their child ate something that did not belong in his or her mouth, let alone the digestive tract. ![]() Photo-Illustration: Photos: Roy McMahon/Getty Images ![]()
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