Pica
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What is pica?
Pica is a rare of behavior characterized by eating non-food materials. Pica may be associated with behavioral and developmental disorders. Some research suggests that the disorder is a specific craving caused by a mineral deficiency, such as iron deficiency.
Common symptoms reported by people with pica
Treatments taken by people with pica
Let’s build this page together! When you share what it’s like to have pica through your profile, those stories and data appear here too.
Got a question about living with pica? Members in the forum might have the answers.
Compare treatments taken by people with pica
Let’s build this page together! When you share what it’s like to have pica through your profile, those stories and data appear here too.
Got a question about living with pica? Members in the forum might have the answers.
Who has pica on PatientsLikeMe?
- 17 patients have this condition
- 1 new patients joined this month
- 6 say pica is their primary condition
| Age | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| <20 | 1 | |
| 20s | 4 | |
| 30s | 6 | |
| 40s | 1 | |
| 50s | 0 | |
| 60s | 1 | |
| 70+ | 1 |
| Age at first symptom | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| 0-19 years | 4 | |
| 20-29 years | 0 | |
| 30-39 years | 0 | |
| 40-49 years | 0 | |
| 50-59 years | 0 | |
| 60-69 years | 0 | |
| 70+ years | 0 |
Distribution of sex
| Sex | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 4 | |
| Female | 10 |
| Diagnosis status | Proportion | # of patients |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosed | 4 | |
| Not Diagnosed | 2 |