Pica is the ingestion of non-food items.  It doesn't happen just in
pregnancy.  However, it is most common in childhood and pregnancy (remember
the kids in your kindergarten class that ate paste or glue? *That's pica
too*)

Common types of pica include:

geophagia-ingestion of dirt or clay
amylophagia-ingestion of starch
pagophagia-ingestion of ice
trichophagia-ingestion of hair
lithophagia-ingestion of stones or gravel

Most of my experience with caring for moms with pica occured in nursing
school in Louisiana and early in my OB nursing career in Georgia.  The
effects of pica on both mother and baby depend upon what she is ingesting.
The main concern I have are the fetal effects of pica-increased incidence
of miscarriage, stillbirths, and prematurity, all of which can be related
to poor nutritional intake.  I am unaware of problems with breastfeeding
and found nothing in my references that said anything about pica and
breastfeeding.  My reference is High Risk Maternity Nursing by Buckley and
Kulb (editors) 1990.  Perhaps our resident Lactnet dietitians could provide
additional comments.

My opinion, when in doubt, breastfeed.

Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN, CCE, CBE
Manhattan, KS  USA
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