Pica Research Paper
Pica
Overview
Pica is a medical disorder characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive or an abnormal appetite for some things that may be considered foods, such as these actions to be food ingredients. In order for these actions to be considered pica, they must persist for more for more than one month at an age where eating such objects is considered developmentally inappropriate.
History
The term pica comes from the Latin word meaning magpie, presumably named after this bird's peculiar eating behaviors. The magpie shows an indiscriminate preference for foods and nonfoods. Pica of dirt and clay was acknowledged by the Greeks and the Romans and was recorded in a 13th century Latin work. Pica was first addressed …show more content…
Pica has habitually been described as an indication of iron deficiency, although it occurs often in those who have normal hemoglobin levels. In the late 1960s, articles in medical journals documented the association between ice eating and anemia and its subsequent relief with iron treatment, although whether pica caused the anemia or the anemia caused pica remained indistinguishable. Ice eating in particular seems most closely tied to iron deficiency and seems to be most consistently amenable to iron therapy. The other forms of pica, however, have been much more inconsistent in their response to iron or any other mineral …show more content…
Often the substance consumed by someone with pica contains the mineral in which that individual is deficient. More recently, cases of pica have been tied to the obsessive–compulsive spectrum, and there is a move to consider OCD in the etiology of pica; however, pica is not currently recognized by the widely used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as being a mental disorder. Sensory, physiological, cultural, and psychosocial perspectives have also been used by some to explain the causation of pica. Mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia can sometimes cause pica. It was thought that stress associated with traumatic events is linked to pica disorder. Some of the traumatic events frequent in individuals with pica include maternal deprivation, parental separation or neglect, child abuse, disorganized family structure and poor parent-child interaction. Pica may also be a symptom of iron deficiency anemia secondary to hookworm infection. Symptoms may also include a bluish hue to the skin, particularly around the mouth. However, pica can also be a cultural practice not associated with a deficiency or disorder. Investigation
Overview
Pica is a medical disorder characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive or an abnormal appetite for some things that may be considered foods, such as these actions to be food ingredients. In order for these actions to be considered pica, they must persist for more for more than one month at an age where eating such objects is considered developmentally inappropriate.
History
The term pica comes from the Latin word meaning magpie, presumably named after this bird's peculiar eating behaviors. The magpie shows an indiscriminate preference for foods and nonfoods. Pica of dirt and clay was acknowledged by the Greeks and the Romans and was recorded in a 13th century Latin work. Pica was first addressed …show more content…
Pica has habitually been described as an indication of iron deficiency, although it occurs often in those who have normal hemoglobin levels. In the late 1960s, articles in medical journals documented the association between ice eating and anemia and its subsequent relief with iron treatment, although whether pica caused the anemia or the anemia caused pica remained indistinguishable. Ice eating in particular seems most closely tied to iron deficiency and seems to be most consistently amenable to iron therapy. The other forms of pica, however, have been much more inconsistent in their response to iron or any other mineral …show more content…
Often the substance consumed by someone with pica contains the mineral in which that individual is deficient. More recently, cases of pica have been tied to the obsessive–compulsive spectrum, and there is a move to consider OCD in the etiology of pica; however, pica is not currently recognized by the widely used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as being a mental disorder. Sensory, physiological, cultural, and psychosocial perspectives have also been used by some to explain the causation of pica. Mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia can sometimes cause pica. It was thought that stress associated with traumatic events is linked to pica disorder. Some of the traumatic events frequent in individuals with pica include maternal deprivation, parental separation or neglect, child abuse, disorganized family structure and poor parent-child interaction. Pica may also be a symptom of iron deficiency anemia secondary to hookworm infection. Symptoms may also include a bluish hue to the skin, particularly around the mouth. However, pica can also be a cultural practice not associated with a deficiency or disorder. Investigation