Pica

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First, any nutritional deficiencies and other medical problems, such as lead toxicity, should be addressed.

Treatment emphasizes psychosocial, environmental, and family education approaches. Other successful treatments include mild aversion therapy (associating the pica behavior with bad consequences or punishment) followed by positive reinforcement for appropriate eating.

Medications may help reduce the abnormal eating behavior, if pica occurs as part of a developmental disorder such as mental retardation.

Treatment success varies. In many cases, the disorder lasts several months, then disappears on its own. In some cases, it may continue into the teen years or adulthood, particularly when associated with developmental disorders.

• Malnutrition
• Lead toxicity
• Infection
• Bezoar (a hardened mass of the substance in the stomach)
• Intestinal obstruction

Call your health care provider if you notice that a child (or adult) has a persistent tendency to eat non-food materials.

Review Date: 05/17/2006
Reviewed By: Paul Ballas, D.O., Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.