In severe cases, he said, patients may eat dangerous objects that could endanger their lives and health, such as scissors or needles. Antipsychotic drugs, he added, may also be useful in severe cases as pica is associated with having wrong beliefs or delusions. Prof Ramli: Pica typically starts during childhood, although it is possible to occur for the first time in an adult. “A rigid or authoritarian parenting style has been reported as being the predisposing factor to any eating disorder. “The incidence of such eating disorders have been reported as individual case reports,” he said.

Source: The Star February 25, 2018 23:48 UTC