Toddler ‘eats bricks like cookies’
Three-year-old girl’s illness means she craves non-edible objects
Natalie Hayhurst’s illness causes her to crave non-edible objects, despite the fact that they pose a risk to her health.
The three-year-old suffers from the illness called Pica which leads her to eat non-food items like rocks, plant and sticks.
Natalie, fromIndianain theUS, is at constant risk of poisoning and her parents face the battle of trying to prevent her from eating something that could kill her.
Frighteningly Natalie almost died after consuming a light bulb. “Natty had eaten an entire light bulb – everything but the wire,” said Mrs Hayhurst. “I was terrified. All I could think of was the glass inside her body and what it was going to do.” Natalie had to undergo surgery to remove the glass from her stomach.
“She knows these things are bad for her, as we have discussed how harmful it is with her,” said her mum. “On bad days she’ll go for things constantly. I know when she has something because she’ll turn her back to me. I’m scared that one day I won’t be there for her.”
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A new study has revealed that the number of people hospitalized with Pica in the US “has nearly doubled within a decade”, reports Fox News, although it’s still a very small number.
Pica can also arise in a small number of mums-to-be who find they crave non-food products, such as petrol fumes, coal, ice, chalk or even toothpaste. Despite many theories, nothing seems to provide a definitive answer as to why Pica happens.
Have you any strange cravings during pregnancy?
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