Pica is a disorder fairly common in pregnant woman and children. It is defined as having the appetite to crave non-food substances. None of these items are of nutritional value. In children aged 18 months to 2 years, the ingestion and mouthing of nonnutritive substances is common and is not considered to be pathological. Common items that are seen consumed consist of chalk, clay, dirt, metal, soap (see picture), batteries, 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, cigarette butts, wire, burnt matches, and other different items.
The disorder comes from the Latin word “magpie”, which is a bird that will eat almost anything. The pattern of eating should carry on for a month or more to be considered a disorder of Pica.