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[Dysphagia] PICA



 P.S., I believe that nearly everyone here has reflux, so that is also an issue.  I  just don't see the deliberate seeking out and eating inedibles except in 2 people out of 24 in this building.
---- pressmah@sjhmc.org wrote: 
> 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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