Pica
“WHAT IS PICA?”
Pica is a condition found most commonly in children between the ages of 2 and 3, people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, pregnant women and people with epilepsy. Pica is also sometimes seen in children with brain injuries.
“WHAT NON-FOOD ITEMS DO THOSE WITH PICA EAT?”
Those with PICA frequently attempt to eat non-food items including:
“WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF PICA?”
Physical consequences of PICA include:
“WHAT IS THE TREATMENT OF PICA?”
To treat Pica, it is necessary to consult with Psychologists, Social workers, Physicians and Dentists.
It is possible to use both medicine and behavioural strategies to treat Pica. However, behavioural strategies have been found to be the most effective way of treating this condition. These strategies include, but are not limited to:
Medical treatment involves drugs such as Olanzapine, that enhance dopaminergic functioning, as these can provide treatment for those with Pica cases in which behavioural strategies do not succeed.
Pica is a condition found most commonly in children between the ages of 2 and 3, people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, pregnant women and people with epilepsy. Pica is also sometimes seen in children with brain injuries.
“WHAT NON-FOOD ITEMS DO THOSE WITH PICA EAT?”
Those with PICA frequently attempt to eat non-food items including:
- dirt
- clay
- cigarette butts
- faeces
- ice
- glue
- hair
- buttons
- paper
- sand
- toothpaste
- soap
- chalk
- corn starch
- laundry starch
- baking soda
- coffee grounds
- cigarette ashes
- burnt match heads
“WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF PICA?”
Physical consequences of PICA include:
- Symptoms of toxic ingestion (including Lead poisoning)
- Symptoms of infection or parasitic infestation
- Gastro-intestinal manifestations (including constipation, ulcerations, perforations, and intestinal obstructions)
- Dental problems (including severe tooth abrasion, and surface tooth loss)
“WHAT IS THE TREATMENT OF PICA?”
To treat Pica, it is necessary to consult with Psychologists, Social workers, Physicians and Dentists.
It is possible to use both medicine and behavioural strategies to treat Pica. However, behavioural strategies have been found to be the most effective way of treating this condition. These strategies include, but are not limited to:
- Antecedent manipulation (actions to evoke desirable behaviours)
- Training them to learn the difference between edible and nonedible items
- Devices that do not allow objects to be place in the mouth, known as ‘self-protection devices’
- Sensory reinforcement
- Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible behaviour (DRI)- encouraging a behaviour that cannot occur at the same time as the problem behaviour
- Overcorrection
Medical treatment involves drugs such as Olanzapine, that enhance dopaminergic functioning, as these can provide treatment for those with Pica cases in which behavioural strategies do not succeed.
