Pica and Related Disorders

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Pica and Related Disorders
By Rhonda Barlow-Glynn County
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Pica

• AN EATING DISORDER IN WHICH NON-NUTRITIONAL
  OBJECTS ARE EATEN
• COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD FOR MAGPIE- A BIRD
  WHICH WILL EAT ANYTHING

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Most Prevalent In

• Children ages 1-6
• Pregnant women
• Certain cultures
• Mentally deficient

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Persons with Pica Tend to Eat

• Clay
• Dirt
• Animal Feces
• Chalk
• Ice
• Hairballs
• Paint or Paint chips
• Sand

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Possible Causes

• Nutrient deficiencies- especially iron and zinc
• Stress
• OCD- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Developmental disorders
• Mental disorders

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Treatment

• Begins with checking for and correcting nutrient
  deficiencies.
• May need to include behavioral or emotional
  treatments.

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Amylophagia

• Eating purified starch (laundry or cornstarch)
• Cause-usually due to a lack of iron or zinc.

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Most Prevalent In

• Pregnant Women
• African American Women
• Children under three
• Persons with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
• Certain cultures or religious traditions
• Those with mental disabilities

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Complications

• Iron deficiency anemia
• Infection
• Malnutrition
• A hard mass could develop in the abdomen

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Geophagia

• Eating earth or soil like substances such as clay
  or chalk.
• Causes
• Usually due to inadequate diet
• Mineral deficiency
• May be part of a cultural tradition

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Most Prevalent In

• Africa- Pregnant women eat clay to relieve nausea
  and provide calcium.
• Haiti- Clay is made into cookies called bon bon
  de terres in an attempt to supplement the diet
  when there is little food.

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Pagophagia

• Excessive eating of ice
• Causes
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Low zinc
• Ice may relieve pain due to Glossitis
• Glossitis is inflammation of the tongue due to
  iron deficiency anemia.

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Treatment

• Check for and treat iron deficiency anemia and/or
  low zinc levels.

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Plumbism

• Lead poisoning due to the consumption of lead
  paint

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May Cause

• In children
• Anemia
• Severe stomachache
• Muscle weakness
• Brain damage

• In adults
• Infertility
• Increased blood pressure
• Nerve disorders
• Muscle/joint pain