Dr. Kendall Crowns

It's not an acronym or an abbreviation of a famous physician's last name.

Pica is actually the genus and species of the common magpie.

Magpies are frequently seen with all sorts of items in their beaks, from chewing gum wrappers to wire hangers, because of their attraction to sparkly objects.

They were thought to be birds with an indiscriminate appetite, and as it turns out, they don't swallow these items, they build their nests with them.

But the human condition of desiring non-food items was given the name pica in the 6th century because they believed the birds were eating all of these odd items.

The exact cause of pica is unknown, but it is often linked to nutritional deficiencies, pregnancies,

developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, and cultural practices.

The list of substances consumed by individuals with pica is very long, but earth, or dirt, is the most commonly consumed substance.

And out of all these substances, with the exception of ice, they are usually dry, powdery, and absorptive, and most of them are rather crunchy.

the american psychiatric association defines pica with four criteria first there must be persistent eating of a non-nutritive substance for at least a month second this behavior is inappropriate to the person's developmental level

Third, the behavior is not a culturally normative or socially supported practice.

And finally, if the behavior occurs at the same time as another DSM diagnosis or other medical disorder, it must be sufficient to require additional attention.

The clinical forms of PICA share at least four features, and these are the person with PICA appears or reports to be obsessed with e-

certain substances.

Second, certain physical or sensory properties of the pica items are highly important to the person.

Third, in the general population and those with autism spectrum disorder, pica appears to be very powerfully positively reinforcing for a range of pica-related behavior.

And finally, both groups of people engage in pica for its short-term benefits, despite its long-term harms.

Some segments of the population are more likely to engage in pica than others.

Pregnant women easily comprise the largest proportion of consumers, while children form the second largest group.

Children most actively seek out clay, paper, chalk, dirt, termite hills, etc.