A case of pica on a 6–year-old child from medan

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In 2013, in the feeding and eating disorder category of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), pica was included as a diagnosis. Eating one or more non-nutritious, non-food substances continuously for at least 1 month is an important characteristic of pica. Children who participate in pica eat products that differ greatly but also include paper, plastic, fabric, dirt, paint, rocks, soap, and cigarette butts. This purpose of this case report is to determine the symptoms and diagnosis of pica in child. CASE REPORT: A 6-year-old girl was brought to the Psychiatry Clinic of North Sumatera University Hospital with her mother due to her unusual behavior of eating stuff including paper, sawdust, crayon, cloth, and ice cubes. This on since the little girl was 3 years of age. One week earlier, the little girl experienced diarrhea before being admitted to the psychiatry clinic. In this case, the diagnosis of pica used the DSM-5 criteria. CONCLUSION: We hope that this case report about pica can figure out more about this particularly unusual behavior, which can occur even in normal children in which parental neglect may precipitate its occurrence. As clinicians, we can detect the symptoms and signs of pica in children to prevent further complications.