

GENERALS – FOOD and DRINKS – indigestible things – desireĪbies-c. GENERALS – FOOD and DRINKS – earth – desireĪlum. Pica may present as pseudo-chronic disease if the cause is deficiency of nutritional substances or exposure to toxic substances, if not corrected at a right time may land into a true chronic disease or may present as true chronic disease directly.Increasing parental attention, stimulation and emotional nurturance may yield positive results. When pica persists in the absence of any toxic manifestations, behavioral techniques like positive reinforcement, modelling, behavioral shaping and overcorrection treatment have been used.Exposure to toxic substances, such as lead must be eliminated.When pica occurs in the context of child neglect or maltreatment, clearly those circumstances must be immediately corrected. An effort should be made to ameliorate any significant psychosocial stressors.The first step is to investigate the specific situation whenever possible.No definitive treatment exists for pica per se most treatment is aimed at education and behavior modification.Lead intoxication may be associated with pica.In psychosocial dwarfism, a dramatic but reversible endocrinological and behavioral form of failure to thrive, children often show bizarre behaviors, including ingesting toilet water, garbage, and other non-nutritive substances.Pica may occur in conjunction with failure to thrive and be comorbid with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and Kleine-Levin syndrome.The differential diagnosis of pica includes avoidance of food, anorexia, or rarely iron and zinc deficiencies.Levels of iron and zinc in serum should be determined and corrected if low.


It can be benign or life-threatening, depending on the objects ingested. Pica is most often a transient disorder that typically lasts for several months and then remits.Lack of supervision, as well as adequate feeding of infants and toddlers may increase the risk of pica. Severe child maltreatment in the form of parental neglect and deprivation has been reported in some cases of pica.They include nutritional deficiencies (e.g., iron, zinc, and calcium), low socioeconomic factors (e.g., lead paint exposure), child abuse and neglect, family disorganization (e.g., poor supervision), mental disorder, learned behavior, underlying (but undetermined) biochemical disorder, and cultural and familial factors. Numerous etiologies have been proposed.According to DSM-5, however, if such practices are culturally accepted, the diagnostic criteria for pica are not met. In certain regions of the world and among certain cultures, such as the Australian aborigines, rates of pica in pregnant women are reportedly high.Pica appears to be more common among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability and appears to affect both sexes equally.In many cases, pica is identified only when medical problems such as intestinal obstruction, intestinal infections, or poisonings arise. Pica is defined as persistent eating of non-nutritive substances.
