Pica refers to a form of eating disorder in which the infant or toddler persists in eating inedible, non-nutritive substances, such as dirt or feces, commonly associated with mental retardation.
It is also a craving for something not normally regarded as nutritive, like dirt and feces. Pica is a classic clue to iron deficiency in children. It also occurs in zinc deficiency. Pica is also seen as a symptom in several neurobiological disorders, including autism and Tourette's syndrome, and is sometimes seen during pregnancy. This disorder is one of the more common and usually less serious eating disorders found among very young children. Pica is a Latin term for magpie, a bird that gleans all sorts of things for its nest.
Other /More definition:
pica is a form of eating disorder in which the infant or toddler persists in eating inedible, nonnutritive substances. This disorder is one of the more common and usually less serious eating disorders found among very young children.
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