Why does my kid eat paper?

For the uninitiated, pica (pronounced PY-kah) is an appetite for non-food items. This tendency is relatively common in children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. They may try to eat all sorts of things. The items I most commonly hear about are paper, soap, pebbles, thread and bits of clothing.

What does it mean if my child eats paper?

Pica is an eating disorder in which a person eats things not usually considered food. Young kids often put non-food items (like grass or toys) in their mouths because they're curious about the world around them. But kids with pica (PIE-kuh) go beyond that. Sometimes they eat things that can lead to health problems.

What does eating paper indicate?

People with pica disorder have unusual cravings for inedible substances. Also referred to as Xylophagia, people with pica eating disorder may consume substances like pencils, tree bark, and paper.

What deficiency makes you crave paper?

Xylophagia is a form of pica where patients have the unusual craving for ingestion of paper. After treating the underlying cause of pica, in this case treating iron deficiency anemia with iron replacement therapy, these unusual cravings resolve.

Is pica a form of autism?

Pica, or the eating of non-food items, was commonly seen in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other types of developmental disabilities in which the child had some autism symptoms, intellectual disability (ID), or both.

Why do kids eat paper?

Does pica go away?

In children and pregnant women, pica often goes away in a few months without treatment. If a nutritional deficiency is causing your pica, treating it should ease your symptoms. Pica doesn't always go away. It can last for years, especially in people who have intellectual disabilities.

At what age can pica be diagnosed?

Eating nonfood items must be developmentally inappropriate (for example, a child who is under 2 years of age commonly puts nonfood items in the mouth and therefore would not be diagnosed with pica until after age 2)

Is eating paper a disorder?

Xylophagia is a condition involving the consumption of paper and form of eating disorder known as pica. Pica is an unusual craving for ingestion of either edible or inedible substances.

Does my child have pica?

Doctors might think it's pica if a child eats non-food items and: has been doing so for least 1 month. the behavior isn't normal for the child's age or developmental stage. the child has risk factors for pica, such as a developmental disability.

What can you do for low iron?

What happens if a toddler eats paper?

If your baby or toddler has eaten paper, their life may be in danger, or, they may only have an upset stomach. “Eating an object like paper, which is not sharp, toxic or caustic, is very unlikely to cause a medical problem,” says Irene Tien, MD, a board-certified pediatric ER physician with Mass General Brigham in MA.

What happens if you eat paper by mistake?

If you've swallowed a small amount of paper used to wrap food, you likely have nothing to worry about. Paper is wood pulp, which the human body cannot digest; it'll just get turned into mush and come out the other end, so to speak.

How do you treat pica in toddlers?

Put a favorite food on your child's plate. Reward your child for eating from the plate and not putting the non-food items in his/her mouth. Talk to your child's doctor or nurse about having his/her iron and zinc status tested. Low levels of these nutrients can contribute to pica.

What are the main causes of pica?

How do you prevent pica?

Can Pica Be Prevented? There is no specific way to prevent pica. However, careful attention to eating habits and close supervision of children known to put things in their mouths may help catch the disorder before complications can occur.

Who is most likely to get pica?

Pica often occurs with other mental health disorders associated with impaired functioning (e.g., intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia). Iron-deficiency anemia and malnutrition are two of the most common causes of pica, followed by pregnancy.

How do I get my toddler to stop eating paper?

Ways to Help Your Kid with Pica

If they are hungry, let them help prepare a healthy snack with a similar texture of their pica craving. For a paper craving, try cooked pasta; for wood, try crunchy vegetables; for paint chips, try sweet fruit; and for dirt, try cooked peas.

What happens if pica is left untreated?

Moreover, pica disorder can result in serious medical conditions, such as anemia, intestinal blockages, and other life-threatening issues. Most often, pica often manifests in individuals with other mental health conditions.

How can you help pica?

Tell others (school, GP, health professionals) about pica. Request support, for example from learning disability/autism or mental health services. Provide safe alternatives to chew/bite and eat. Distract away from pica and increase engagement in other activities.

What are the 3 types of pica?

Is pica a form of OCD?

Response of pica and other eating disorders as well as OCD to SSRIs implies that the serotonin system dysfunction was the underlying mechanism in these disorders. As a result this case is supportive data that pica can be a disorder in OCD spectrum.

Is pica a habit?

Many typical children chew on things such as their nails and ice, or they mouth their toys and hair. These are normal habits. But a person diagnosed with pica repeatedly eats nonfood items, even if those items make them sick. They should be seen by a doctor.

Is pica a symptom of schizophrenia?

Although pica is commonly associated with nutritional deficiencies, it is also observed in psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and less commonly in schizophrenia.

How can I stop eating paper?

Inform him gently on the dangers of eating paper from notebooks. For one, it can choke you, and most importantly, notebook paper is full of bleaches, dyes and ink that can be detrimental to the health of whoever is consuming. In large quantities especially, which if this is a habit, it would be.

Is it OK to eat paper towel?

It may be toxic, it may block absorption of nutrients, and it may cause blockage or damage in the GI tract,” Brodsky said. What can you do if you think you might have pica? Brodsky recommends seeing a doctor if you're experiencing pica behavior.