[Dysphagia] PICA

[pressmah at sjhmc.org (pressmah@sjhmc.org)]

It would seem to me that if they are developmentally between the ages of
18-24 months, that it would be an acceptable behavior, however, they would
require careful monitoring so that they do not swallow non edibles.  There
is also some indication that excess mouthing may be secondary to reflux i.e.
if I have heartburn and I chew on something I make more saliva to neutralize
the acid.  Hilda Pressman

-----Original Message-----
From: hillivie423@adelphia.net [mailto:hillivie423@adelphia.net]
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 11:05 AM
To: Dysphagia list
Subject: [Dysphagia] PICA


"Pica is an eating disorder typically defined as the persistent eating of
nonnutritive substances for a period of at least 1 month at an age in which
this behavior is developmentally inappropriate (eg, >18-24 mo). The
definition occasionally is broadened to include the mouthing of nonnutritive
substances. Individuals presenting with pica have been reported to mouth
and/or ingest a wide variety of nonfood substances, including, but not
limited to, clay, dirt, sand, stones, pebbles, hair, feces, lead, laundry
starch, vinyl gloves, plastic, pencil erasers, ice, fingernails, paper,
paint chips, coal, chalk, wood, plaster, light bulbs, needles, string, and
burnt matches." 

The above quote was sent to me this morning.  It appears that anyone who
explores with his mouth, as do many of the profoundly mentally retarded
people with whom I work, should be considered to have PICA.  Is it possible
that people should not be diagnosed as having PICA if they mouth objects to
explore them, and then once the object is in the mouth, it gets
automatically swallowed?
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