Pica
Many young children put nonfood items in their mouths at one time or another. They're naturally curious about their environment, and they may, for instance, eat some dirt out of the sandbox. Kids with pica, however, go beyond this innocent exploration of their surroundings. As many as 25% to 30% of kids (and 20% of those seen in mental health clinics) have an eating disorder called pica, which is characterized by persistent and compulsive cravings (lasting 1 month or longer) to eat nonfood items.
What Is Pica?
The word pica comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird known for its large and indiscriminate appetite.
Pica is most common in people with developmental disabilities, including
autism and mental retardation, and in children between the ages of 2 and 3. Although kids younger than 18 to 24 months can try to eat nonfood items, it isn't necessarily considered abnormal at that age.
Pica is also a behavior that may also surface in children who've had a brain injury affecting their development. It can also be a problem for some pregnant women, as well as people with epilepsy.
People with pica frequently crave and consume nonfood items such as:
- dirt
- clay
- paint chips
- plaster
- chalk
- cornstarch
- laundry starch
- baking soda
- coffee grounds
- cigarette ashes
- burnt match heads
- cigarette butts
- feces
- ice
- glue
- hair
- buttons
- paper
- sand
- toothpaste
- soap
Although consumption of some items may be harmless, pica is considered to be a serious eating disorder that can sometimes result in serious health problems such as
lead poisoning and
iron-deficiency anemia.
Bezoar
Trichobezoar is a bezoar formed from
hair - an extreme form of
hairball. Humans who frequently consume hair sometimes require these to be removed. This has also been called
Rapunzel syndrome.
11-25-2007, 06:16 PM
Re: Hairball?
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