HealthlineSubscribeEverythingYouNeedtoKnowAboutPicaMedicallyreviewedbyKarenGill,M.D.—WrittenbyGretchenHolm—UpdatedonAugust2,2019SymptomsCausesDiagnosisComplicationsTreatmentOutlookOverviewPeoplewiththedisorderpicacompulsivelyeatitemsthathavenonutritionalvalue.Apersonwithpicamighteatrelativelyharmlessitems,suchasice.Ortheymighteatpotentiallydangerousitems,likesflakesofdriedpaintorpiecesofmetal.Inthelattercase,thedisordercanleadtoseriousconsequences,suchasleadpoisoning.Thisdisorderoccursmostofteninchildrenandpregnantwomen.It’susuallytemporary.Seeyourdoctorrightawayifyouoryourchildcan’thelpbuteatnonfooditems.Treatmentcanhelpyouavoidpotentiallyserioussideeffects.Picaalsooccursinpeoplewhohaveintellectualdisabilities.It’softenmoresevereandlong-lastinginpeoplewithseveredevelopmentaldisabilities.WhatshouldIlookfor?Peoplewithpicaeatnonfooditemsregularly.Thebehaviormustcontinueforatleastonemonthtoqualifyaspica.Ifyouhavepica,youmayregularlyeatthingssuchas:icesoapbuttonsclayhairdirtsandtheunusedremainderofacigarettecigaretteashespaintgluechalkfecesYoumayalsoeatothernonfooditems.Whatcausespica?There’snosinglecauseofpica.Insomecases,adeficiencyiniron,zinc,oranothernutrientmaybeassociatedwithpica.Forexample,anemia,usuallyfromirondeficiency,maybetheunderlyingcauseofpicainpregnantwomen.Yourunusualcravingsmaybeasignthatyourbodyistryingtoreplenishlownutrientlevels.Peoplewithcertainmentalhealthconditions,suchasschizophreniaandobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD),maydeveloppicaasacopingmechanism.Somepeoplemayevenenjoyandcravethetexturesorflavorsofcertainnonfooditems.Insomecultures,eatingclayisanacceptedbehavior.Thisformofpicaiscalledgeophagia.Dietingandmalnourishmentcanbothleadtopica.Inthesecases,eatingnonfooditemsmayhelpyoufeelfull.Howispicadiagnosed?There’snotestforpica.Yourdoctorwilldiagnosethisconditionbasedonhistoryandseveralotherfactors.Youshouldbehonestwithyourdoctoraboutthenonfooditemsyou’veeaten.Thiswillhelpthemdevelopanaccuratediagnosis.Itmaybehardforthemtodetermineifyouhavepicai