Pica
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Pica
Pica is a condition in which a person craves substances that are not food, such as clay, dirt, ice, or flecks of old paint. Pica can have a physical cause, such as iron deficiency anemia or pregnancy, or it may be due to a psychological problem.
Treatment depends on the cause and may include psychological counseling or medications to reduce the craving.
Credits
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Fred Volkmar, MD - Child Psychiatry |
| Last Updated | May 19, 2008 |
| Last updated: | May 19, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jeannette Curtis |
| Reviewed By: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Fred Volkmar, MD - Child Psychiatry |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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