![]() ![]() Because so many factors contributed to pica, it’s best to get help in determining the best plan to keep your child safe from foreign substances they introduce to their own bodies. Behavior modification is a useful approach, but should be handled with consistency by a professional lest the behaviors simply be driven into secrecy. ![]() Sensory chew toys can provide a viable outlet for the child seeking oral stimulation. Many have reported that the addition of zinc to a child’s diet alleviates pica. Consultation with a nutritional expert may unearth deficiencies which can be addressed. Scrupulous attention to child-proofing your home is recommended, as is personal vigilance in watching your child. Still others may have mental health issues such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia. Some children simply lack the ability to discriminate between edible and non-edible substances, while others have sensory issues like a need for oral stimulation. Pica behaviors can indicate dietary deficiencies such as anemia. The very young all go through the stage of putting everything in their mouths, but some children persist with the behavior. Obviously, many of these substances pose considerable dangers such as lead poisoning from paint chips, gastrointestinal obstructions, bowel problems, dental calamities, parasitic infections from dirt and feces and intestinal perforation. Among the other common cravings are clay, paint chips, plaster, chalk, cornstarch, laundry starch, baking soda, coffee grounds, cigarette ashes & butts, feces,buttons, glue, ice, sand and toothpaste. Geophagy is the term for pica sufferers who eat dirt. Women and children with autism are most vulnerable to pica. Pica Pica often occurs with other mental health disorders associated with impaired functioning (e.g., intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder. ![]() Hospitalizations for pica incidents have risen a startling 93% over the last ten years, a jump attributed to the rise in autism. Children between the age of two and three, and/or people with developmental disabilities display pica behavior such as consuming dirt, hair, foam, paper, etc. The word “pica” comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird known for eating anything in its path. doi:10.1542/peds.Pica is an abnormal craving for non-edible substances. The difference in prevalence remained even after adjusting (adjusted prevalence ratio range 1.9–8.0, all P <.05).ġ. The researchers noted, however, that pica prevalence was not higher in children who had a developmental disability but did not have an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder characteristics. Other developmental disability with both intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder characteristics (26.3%).Other developmental disability with autism spectrum disorder characteristics (12.0%) Pica is a potentially deadly form of self-injurious behavior most frequently exhibited by individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.Other developmental disability with intellectual disability (9.7%).Autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability (14.0%). ![]() Autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability (28.1%).Additionally, the prevalence of pica was also increased in most of the subgroups: They found that the prevalence of pica among the population control participants was 3.5% and much higher in the other groups, occurring in 23.3% of children with autism spectrum disorder and 8.4% in the children with other developmental disorders. Questionnaires and assessments were used to define study groups, subgroups, and pica. The autism spectrum disorder group was further divided by whether the child had an intellectual disability the other developmental disorder group was divided by whether the child had an intellectual disability or some autism spectrum disorder characteristics. The sample included children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 1426), children with other types of developmental disabilities (n = 1735), and general population-based controls (n = 1578). The researchers used a sample from the Study to Explore Early Development, which is a multisite case-control study. An i nvestigation in Pediatrics looked at pica in children, both with and without autism spectrum disorder, who were aged 30 to 68 months. However, there has been little study on how prevalent pica is in this population. Case reports have shown that some children with either intellectual disability or autism spectrum have pica. ![]()
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