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​ What is Pica Syndrome?

​ What is Pica Syndrome?Learn more abour Pica Syndrome

 
What is Pica Syndrome?
Eating clay, earth, lime or glass… Is your child eating these substances? Among the people, it is interpreted Decisively as “There is a lack of nutrients in the body” or “There are psychological problems”. However, the situation may not be due to such reasons.
 
This disorder, called Pica syndrome (the habit of eating foreign matter), is sometimes really caused by a vitamin deficiency in the body, and sometimes by psychological problems. However, neurological complaints are also among the causes of pica syndrome.
 
Symptoms of Pica Syndrome
 
Abdominal pain is among the most common and frequent symptoms of pic pica syndrome.
Blood may appear in the feces of the child due to what he ate.
Constipation and diarrhea. Constipation and diarrhea can be accompanied by intestinal problems such as obstruction or damage.
Common infections caused by Decaying substances are also among the symptoms of pica syndrome.
Pica is the habit of eating non-food items for more than a month. Improperly eaten, these substances are incompatible with the person's developmental level. Inappropriate substances eaten for the diagnosis of pica should also be culturally unsupported. For example, in some communities in Africa and the American continent, there is a habit of feeding pregnant women laundry coke to reduce morning sickness. Parents can behaviorally transmit these habits to their children and take the children's family as a model. In such a case, this habit is not called pica.
 
What Causes Pica Syndrome?
In order for the diagnosis of pica disease to be made, the child must be at least 2 years old. Because the behavior of throwing inappropriate substances into the mouth and trying to eat can be seen in young children. PICA can be seen in children in situations such as separation of parents, child abuse, communication disorders between parents and children, neglect of the family. Dec.
 
The exact cause of pica syndrome is unknown; but mostly due to psycho-social development disorders, sometimes pica is seen due to some nutritional deficiencies. Nutritional deficiencies such as iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin B1, vitamin B6 deficiencies have also been reported to occur in pica syndrome, but the cause has not been explained. For example, in iron deficiency anemia seen in people who eat soil, it is not clear whether the patient eats soil due to iron deficiency or whether iron deficiency occurs due to the soil he eats. At the same time, it is not certain that Decays in the dopaminergic system constitute the relationship between pica-iron deficiency.
 
Treatment of Pica Syndrome
The follow-up of a child with Pica syndrome varies according to the underlying cause. First of all, the child needs to be taken to a doctor for a complete systemic examination. It is imperative to investigate nutritional deficiencies, assess the psycho-social and neurological development of the child. If necessary at this stage, it can be referred to child neurology and child psychiatry. The family and the doctor should also be aware of situations that can lead to severe depression or aggression, such as child abuse.
 
What Big Problems Can Pica Syndrome Lead To?
If Pica syndrome is neglected, the following important problems may occur:
 
Development retardation,
Serious damage due to hard substances eaten in the intestines,
Accumulation of lead in the body.

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