Question
My daughter is a little over a year old and can walk. However, she loves to pick up things on the ground and eat them. No matter how I scold or punish her, it doesn’t work. How should I educate her to stop this habit?
Answer
Hello! Pica, or the compulsion to eat non-food items, is a peculiar habit that infants and young children develop in their eating process. The exact cause of pica is not fully understood, but clinical studies have found that some children with iron deficiency anemia and those who are zinc deficient may see improvements in their pica symptoms after taking iron supplements or adding zinc to their diet. Therefore, it might be worth trying to give children with pica iron supplements or introduce zinc into their diet, as this can sometimes lead to positive results. The behavior of eating non-food items in young children may be a sign of psychological distress or compulsive behavior, often related to inadequate parenting or abnormal environmental factors. Initially, children may inadvertently pick up and eat non-food items due to lack of attention, which over time becomes a habit that is difficult to break. Therefore, it is recommended that parents provide more attention to their children and avoid harsh disciplinary methods.