Pica

Dear J., i am a Day care provider i have observed this with Toddlers. i have notified parents.i am told it's a iron difficiency, i am told it's just a habit and children drop it with growth. From D. Flores Los Angeles

It is possible that your child is low on iron. I have heard that children will intentionally eat dirt when they are low on iron which is basically a decrease in the number of red blood cells which is called iron deficiency anemia. Your doctor will need to take a blood sample to verify if this is the problem. Treatment is basically iron supplements, which will eventually stop your child from eating dirt.
Also, you may want to put your child in time out or something when you discover your child eating dirt, and give your child a reward (such as a special treat) when your child refrains from eating dirt. Still, make an appointment with the pediatrician. Dirt can consist of parasites from animals, or even lead poisoning. Be on the look out for abnormal bowl movements or discoloration or rice like things in the feces. Also look out for peculiar rashes. Like I mentioned, dirt has many things in it that is not good for the human body.
It could be pica, but is your toddler eating other abnormal things as well? Pica involves consuming not only dirt, but also coins, laundry detergent, paint, soap or other non-food items. If not, it is most likely the iron deficiency or it could also be geophagy. Geophagy is the practice of eating earthy substances such as clay or chalk, often to augment a mineral deficient diet. This is actually very common in other countries, but within the first world countries, doctors will diagnose it as pica. Eating dirt has been found to be healthy since it does provide mineral supplements, but it has to be "clean" and not fouled by animals or other toxins such as sprays or fertilizers.
So, just take your toddler in for a check up, and go from there. Good Luck!

M. *~

I think it's becuz he is low on iron....Some people will chew ice or eat dirt when they need iron...I know it sounds wierd but I have heard this from a number of people...I do know that during one of my pregnancies I chewed ice constantly!! My doctor did indeed change my pre-natal vitamins....But by all means make sure you check with the doctor before you do anything! Good Luck & God Bless

When my second daughter was 9 months she would crawl to the potted plants in our house and eat the dirt. So we moved the plants out of the house. I never thought of it as a problem but rather as a way she was exploring the world.

Hello J.:
I was a single mom of a two year old once upon a time.
He didn't eat dirt but I had contemplated eating dirt myself in my pregnancy with Zack, (now 16).

Dirt is typically rich in minerals, so it may not be bad for him. I would pay attention to what dirt he or she is eating. If it is from a garden that uses pesticides or manure, not good obviously. Your brilliant child is listening to his or her body which is telling him/her she is deficient of certain minerals in her diet. I wouldn't define it as pica. I would treat it as a need for certain minerals. If you want to discourage the dirt eating, explore adding more minerals into his/her diet. Since I struggle with getting proper nutrition into my 3 and 5 yr old at times, I have discovered something that works wonderfully. There is a herb company called: Amazon Herb. Their products come straight from the nutrient rich amazon jungle floor. There is liquid products that can be mixed with fruit juices. This way my daughters get the incredible health benefits and don't require additional supplements. To find out about them go to ____@____.com company gave me a website because I order monthly from them.

Below is an article below about eating dirt I found on the internet today.

Much love,
C.

Eating Dirt: It Might Be Good for You
Experts Claim the Habit of Eating Clay May Be Beneficial for Pregnant WomenFont Size

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Print Diamond notes that many traditional cultures cook food like potatoes, acorns and bread in clay as a way of protecting against the toxic alkaloids and tannic acids that would otherwise make these foods inedible.

Glycoalkaloids, for example, are commonly found in potatoes and can cause diarrhea, vomiting and neurological problems in humans. But when South American Indians eat these potatoes in combination with alkaloid-binding clays, the potatoes are safe to consume, according to Diamond.

Dirt: The World's First Mineral Supplement
Medical professionals studying geophagy are also considering whether the minerals in some clays are especially beneficial for pregnant women.

"Mineral supplements are a pretty new phenomenon," said Katz. "Mineral demand goes up substantially during pregnancy."

"Soil is nature's multi-mineral supply," he added, "and nature favors behaviors that lead to survival. It may simply be that women who had this craving were more likely to survive and pass on this tendency to their offspring."

Mineral content in clays vary from region to region, but many contain high levels of calcium, iron, copper and magnesium. These are essential minerals for the human diet but even more critical during pregnancy.

Erica Gibson-Staneland, an anthropologist at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., has found that geophagy is more often found in cultures that do not practice dairying. Dairy products like milk and cheese would provide important dietary calcium -- when these are absent, pregnant women may seek other sources.

"It's about women lacking nutrients or women in impoverished conditions who don't have access to health care, adapting," said Gibson-Staneland.

"In Africa, they eat the dirt from termite mounds," she added, noting that the dirt and clays from termite mounds are rich in minerals.

You knowq what? It's just one of those things that kids do when they're little, it's definitely iron related, but it'll pass, just give her those chewable flintstone vitamins.. that seems to work with my daughter when she was little, she used to eat dirt too... in fact I craved dirt when i was pregnant... (weird I know), don't worry it's normal and the worst case scenario is you'll have pinworms to deal with when she eats too much.... it's not too bad...
S.

My sister (mother of 3...and ate dirt when little) learned that when your body lacks certain minerals it craves weird things such as dirt.

A.

Hi J.!
My son also eats dirt and sand. It's normal for little kids to do that sort of thing, yukky as it seems to us. The one thing to watch out for is lead poisoning, especially around older homes painted before 1940. My son was tested for it and, luckily, he was fine. The most difficult thing for us is the poopy diapers...they are gritty and irritate his tender skin. One day after eating sand should have cured him of that habit...his little butt was so sore...but, no. He still does it!!! You just need to be vigilant...when my son is outside, I keep an eye on him and try to distract him from the "yummy" dirt! Good luck and keep safe!
your pal, L.

Hi, My mother used to eat dirt when she was a child- handfuls of it. It was because she was anemic and there is iron in dirt. Have your child's doctor check her for anemia and put her on an iron supplement.

A.

Hi J.
I have 3 kids. I remember my kid Ped asking me with each child if they had a tendency to eat things like that. My kids didn't. My curious nature made me ask why they were asking me ?'s like that. They said kids who are defient in iron or are anemic sometimes crave dirt. Since there is iron in dirt. I am sure he is fine. Give more red meat, other iron containing food, and a childrens vitamins w/iron. Start with that and if he still craves dirt take him to the Dr. A good Dr will run a blood test. Good luck
K.

Im a special education teacher and child psychologist and have dealt with the condition of pica more than a few times in my career - and TRUST me, your toddler eating dirt is not even close to the most moderate forms of pica. Pica is a psychological disease that has very strict guidlines for diagnoses and presents itself in tandem with other mental health issues such as mental retardation and Down's Syndrome. If your child does not have any obvious developmental disabilities that you would have already known about, she does NOT have pica.

I have a 1 1/2 year old, and taught for many years - and kids like to eat dirt. Period. Its likely not the taste but the fun and interesting texture, and the fact that they are doing something they know they aren't supposed to do! The worst that could come from your child eating dirt is worms, and that isn't serious and very treatable. Her eating dirt, even on a daily basis, can't harm her: and know the more you tell her no, the more she will want to do it! While she is playing, try to focus her attention on other things besides putting the dirt in her mouth - toddlers are very easily distracted. If she puts dirt in her mouth, calmly tell her "No, dirt does not go in our mouth" and focus on something else like a rock or a flower or putting dirt into a container. As long as someone is supervising her at all times you should be easily able to train the dirt eating out of it. Its just a kid thing, dont worry so much about it.

Just to make you feel better, here is a clinical cut and pasted symptom sheet for PICA:

Pica
SYMPTOMS

Persistent eating of nonnutritive substances for a period of at least 1 month. (this means continually, not on and off when shes around dirt)

The eating of nonnutritive substances is inappropriate to the developmental level. (it is developmentally appropriate for a 2 year old to eat diry)

The eating behavior is not part of a culturally sanctioned practice.

If the eating behavior occurs exclusively during the course of another mental disorder (e.g., Mental Retardation, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia), it is sufficiently severe to warrant independent clinical attention. (not your child, Im assuming)

So relax, she'll get over it. Its just a phase.

My MIL says my hubby used to to this a lot. She says she'd open the front door, and he'd bolt for the flower bed, grab a handful of dirt, and shove it in his mouth. I've heard that sometimes it is actually a symptom of a mineral deficiency, and they are finding the missing element in the soil. As long as the palces he's doing it don't use pesticides, then I would just tell him "Eweys" and help him rinse out his mouth. He'll stop eventually! ~J

I recently went through the same thing. My daughter is 3 and she was eating handfuls of sand at preschool. Obvioulsy they were very concerned so I took her to the doc. There is a worry with getting worms and other bacterias... mainly pica is associated with an iron deficiency but in my daughter's case it was brought on by stress from her daddy leaving on deployment. She recommended counseling if it persits for at least one month. But she immediatley stopped after we went to the doc.

hi J.,

I work with children ages 2-3, and I had to look up pica to see what exactly that was. That seems kind of extreme in relation to the situation you have. Usually children that I have had that eat dirt or sand in my care at school seem to be doing it out of first exploration, possibly malnourishment, such as an iron deficiency, but then it seems to be kind of a habit to do it. The more attention I paid it, the worse it was for the child because they really didn't seem to think it was as bad or as disgusting as I may have felt it was for them to be putting such things in their mouths, then I realized I ran the risk of making them feel ashamed and disgusting themselves. All the children I ever had that did it out grew it, and I have had quite a few. Good luck!!!

Im not sure if you should worry to much. Most people who eat things like dirt, plaster, clay etc... are difficient in some minerals and vitamins. Their body is craving those things and dirt has alot of minerals in it.

hmmm..thanks for the info on pica ive discovered my 3 yrs old niece eats dirt,drywall paint, and mud... be sure to ask the pedestrian about pica