Medical diagnosticians debate whether pica occurs as a symptom of the anemia, because the body craves the deficient mineral, or the anemia is a result of the ongoing pica, because ingested material interferes with mineral metabolism (Roberts-Harewood, 2002).
Pica can create serious health issues when consuming items that contain lead or sharp objects.
It can lead to:
Therefore, it is important for clinicians, doctors, pediatricians, therapists, nurses, and other professionals in the medical and mental health field to have an awareness for Pica and what features to monitor when diagnosing and treating the disorder.
For more information on treating or assessing for Pica, click the word.
It can lead to:
- Toxicity
- Parasitic Infections
- Malnutrition
- Oral and Dental health problems
- Obstructions and Perforations
Therefore, it is important for clinicians, doctors, pediatricians, therapists, nurses, and other professionals in the medical and mental health field to have an awareness for Pica and what features to monitor when diagnosing and treating the disorder.
For more information on treating or assessing for Pica, click the word.
Charts from (Stiegler, 2005) Picture from google images