Pica (disorder)

Pica is an abnormal appetite for earth and other non-foods. The condition's name comes from the Latin word for the bird we call a magpie which is reputed to eat almost anything. Pica is common in small children, and occasionally in pregnant women. In extreme forms it is regarded as a medical disorder. Examples of pica are:\n* geophagy (consumption of soil)\n* mucophagy (consumption of mucus)\n* trichophagia (consumption of hair or wool)\n* coprophagia (consumption of excrement)\n* amylophagia (consumption of starch)\n* pagophagia (consumption of ice)\n* peniiphagia (consumption of penii)\n* xylophagia (consumption of wood toothpicks)\n* coniophagia (consumption of dust from Venetian blinds)\n* gooberphagia (pathological consumption of peanuts)\n* please add more examples to this list Pregnant women have been known to develop strong cravings for soil, chalk, laundry starch, and other non-foods. Some theorize that the women may be craving trace minerals lacking in their system, but there have been no major studies on this. Warning: pica in children, while common, can be dangerous: children eating painted plaster may suffer brain damage from lead poisoning from lead in the paint. In additon to posioning, there is also a much elevated risk of gastro-intestinal obstruction or perforation.

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• Hundreds of coins found in patient's belly