Untitled Slide

WHAT IS PICA?

• Eating Disorder
• Persistent eating of substances that have no nutritional value

WHAT CAUSES PICA?

• Pica cravings are the body's attempt to obtain vitamins or minerals that are missing or needed, through normal food consumption. May be relating to an underlying physical or mental illness.

HOW IS PICA DIAGNOSED?

• If the disorder is suspected, a medical evaluation is important to assess from possible anemia, intestinal blockages, or toxics that were possibly ingested

MOST SEEN IN...

• Pregnant women
• Those with development disabilities
• Different ethnic customs
• Diets that lack minerals needed
• Small children

PREGNANCY CRAVINGS

• Ice cream
• Ice
• Mothballs
• Pickles
• Stones
• Baking soda
• Toothpaste

TREATMENT:

• Close medical monitoring is necessary throughout treatment
• Additional close collaboration with a mental health team skilled in treating pica

CRvINGS:

• Dirt
• Clay
• Paint chips
• Chalk
• Soil
• Animal feces
• Laundry starch
• Cigarette ashes
• Hair balls

TEST USED FOR DIAGNOSIS:

• Blood test
• X-Rays
• Most last at least a month for the diagnosis of Pica to be made

🎉FUN FACT🎉

• Pica in Magpie in Latin, which means a bird known for it's curious eating habits.

TOP 10 PICA DISORDERS

~Amylophagia: consumption of starch and paste

~Geophagy: consumption of soil, clay, or chalk

~Coprophagia: consumption of excrement

~Urophagia: consumption of urine

~Hematophagy: ingestion of blood

~Self-cannibalism: rare condition were body parts may be consumed

~Trichophagia: consumption of hair or wool

~Hyalophagia: consumption of glass

~Cautopyreiophagia: ingestion of burnet match heads

~Pegophagia: pathological consumption of ice

SYMOTOMS