Pica Disorder: Eating Non-Food Substances
In Adults, It Appears Due to Anxiety and Stress
A teenager in Germany who had a rubber glove discovered in his stomach returned to the hospital after two days for swallowing tape. This was due to pica, a mental disorder involving the consumption of non-food substances.
On the 26th (local time), pediatric medical staff at the Bethel Children's Center of Bielefeld University in Germany reported that a 16-year-old boy A, originally from Ukraine and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, visited the hospital with his guardian after vomiting bile-stained material continuously for two days.
Medical staff found some unclear strings and small pieces of plastic mixed in the vomit and suspected pica. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed, confirming the presence of a rubber glove in the stomach.
The medical team initially tried to extract the glove with forceps, but it only moved up to the esophagus and could not be pulled out further. Eventually, after inserting a plastic tube and administering muscle relaxants, they were able to remove the glove with forceps.
Boy A showed no additional damage such as ulcers in the stomach and was discharged the same day after monitoring for abnormal signs at the hospital.
However, two days later, boy A swallowed another rubber glove and visited the emergency room, where it was removed surgically. After that, he was hospitalized multiple times for swallowing cloth flowers, woolen strings, 20 cm-long tape, and other items.
Pica is a type of eating disorder characterized by the repeated ingestion of non-food substances. It frequently appears in infants, typically occurring between the ages of 1 and 2, and symptoms tend to improve as the child grows. The objects ingested vary by age. Young children often eat paint, plaster, hair, strings, and cloth, while older children may consume animal feces, sand, insects, leaves, and pebbles.
Pica can also occur in pregnant women, individuals with autism spectrum disorder, or intellectual disabilities. Although the cause is unclear, it is known to be triggered by nutritional deficiencies such as iron or zinc, extreme anxiety, excessive stress, chronic depression, or drug addiction.
Poverty, ignorance, child abuse, parental psychopathology, developmental delays, and family conflicts are known to increase the risk of developing pica. If a child shows symptoms of pica, it is important to visit a hospital promptly. Treatments for pica include aversion therapy using mild electrical stimulation or unpleasant sounds and smells, extinction and negative reinforcement techniques, shaping behavior, and overcorrection methods.
Treatment for complications caused by pica should also be conducted simultaneously. Consuming substances like paper, styrofoam, or hair can accumulate in the body, leading to nutritional deficiencies, intestinal obstruction, tooth damage, intestinal infections, iron deficiency, and lead poisoning, which can cause further harm.
The medical staff at Bethel Children's Center who treated boy A stated, “Treatment varies depending on the substances ingested by the patient, and complications also differ. Swallowing rubber gloves can harden and solidify in the stomach, making removal difficult and increasing the risk of complications.”
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