RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Pica: Common but Commonly Missed
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Practice
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 353
OP 358
DO 10.3122/15572625-13-5-353
VO 13
IS 5
A1 Edward A. Rose
A1 John H. Porcerelli
A1 Anne Victoria Neale
YR 2000
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/13/5/353.abstract
AB Background: Pica is the compulsive eating of nonnutritive substances and can have serious medical implications. Although it has been described since antiquity, there has been no single agreed-upon explanation of the cause of such behavior. Methods: Databases from MEDLINE and PSYCH-Lit were searched from 1964 to the present to find relevant sources of information using the key words “pica,” “obsessive-compulsive disorder,” “iron-deficiency anemia,” and “nutrition.” Results and Conclusions: Pica is observed most commonly in areas of low socioeconomic status and is more common in women (especially pregnant women) and in children. To our knowledge, the prevalence of pica is not known. Numerous complications of the disorder have been described, including iron-deficiency anemia, lead poisoning, and helminthic infestations. Pica is probably a behavior pattern driven by multiple factors. Some recent evidence supports including pica with the obsessive-compulsive spectrum of disorders. Many different treatment regimens have been described, with variable responses. It is important to be aware of this common, but commonly missed, condition.