![]() However, there haven’t been any rigorous studies linking the foods people crave during pregnancy to any nutritional needs or deficiencies. In certain anecdotal cases, that may make sense - perhaps Phoebe was craving meat because she needed more protein. People often assume that pregnancy cravings are related to something that the baby needs. Pregnancy also can cause taste aversions, the opposite of cravings, where you can’t stand the thought of eating a particular food. Sometimes pregnancy makes you crave foods that you didn’t like before pregnancy and sometimes it makes you crave foods in strange combinations. Cravings aren’t necessarily linked to your non-pregnant tastes. Although 9 in 10 cases of eating disorders occur among women, those in men increased by 53 percent between 19.Pregnancy cravings are very common - about half of women experience at least one craving during pregnancy. Patients with pica and other eating disorders may also be hospitalized for other conditions, such as depression, fluid and electrolyte disorders, schizophrenia, or alcohol-related disorders. Some mental health professionals categorize pica as an obsessive-compulsive disorder, which would describe your behavior if you feel powerless to stop it even you know it it’s risky. Some people have claimed that pica eating behavior eases anxiety and tension. You may eat clay, starch, or some other substance simply because you enjoy it. Some people from areas of the American South have also commonly eaten clay. The clay forms a protective coating in the lining of the intestine and binds bacteria there. People in some parts of Nigeria eat kaolinite (a form of clay) to fight diarrhea. In some cultures, pica is practiced for medicinal purposes and may actually have some value, according to Psychology Today. Because of such avoidance or lack of knowledge, it’s that pica might be much more common than originally thought, although it can be treated with a multi-disciplinary approach that includes both mental and medical intervention.Īlthough hospitalizations for eating disorders are trending downward, from 1999 to 2009 hospitalizations for patients with pica increased 93 percent. A pregnant woman might not want to admit such cravings out of shame. If a child has pica, the parents may not even be aware of what the disorder is. Pica is one of the most difficult eating disorders to treat because people don’t want to admit that they have it. Women who are deficient in iron or other nutritive metals may have pica, and some research suggests that women who had pica as children are much more likely to have pica when pregnant. Pregnant women can suffer from pica, as well. It may occur in as many as 10 to 32 percent of children before they’re six years old. The exact cause of pica is not known, and it is thought that many combined factors contribute the behavior. But, since it is linked to deficiencies in the diet, a doctor may perform blood tests to check the levels of iron and zinc in the body. There is no single diagnostic test for pica. ![]() Research has linked pica to an iron deficiency, although that’s just one facet and not the only cause. Items the person may eat can include paper, soap, cloth, hair, string, dirt, chalk, metal, charcoal, and other substances. ![]()
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