Jordana Tait, a 25-year-old mother from Bradford, West Yorkshire constantly monitors her two-year-old daughter Dolly to stop her from eating potentially hazardous items around their house. Jordana opened up about her daughter's rare condition known as pica that makes her eat the walls, the TV remote, cardboard boxes, and other non-food items in her bedroom.
The mother explained to Daily Mirror that although she loves Dolly, she admitted feeling exhausted from the lack of help and support for the condition of her daughter. She also said her daughter's condition is so scary that she has to watch her all the time along with getting rid of everything that Dolly might eat.
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Jordana has already quit her job as a sales account manager to stay at home and take care of Dolly. But she is left frustrated by the lack of help for her daughter suffering from pica.
Despite getting help for being in autism spectrum disorder, she added that there is no help for Dolly's other diagnosis. Portage workers from the council were there to help her with her daughter's autism and said that she is grateful for them, but she has not received help for the pica diagnosis.
Dolly first presented her symptoms of pica at only 12 months old in which Jordana noticed some chunks of cardboard being bitten out. She also found segments of reading books and buttons from the TV remote control that passed through Dolly's system after being swallowed. Then she noticed her daughter attacking other non-food items around the house, such as the bed frame, and other furniture.
Afraid that some things would pass into her daughter's bloodstream, Dolly has to undergo regular blood tests because of the dangers of lead poisoning from the paint on the walls that she eats.
Dolly has a pediatrician but they are on a waiting list to see a child psychologist for a year now. They were on a waitlist for an occupational therapist to give them tips on how to make their home safer, but Jordana has been recently told that there is nothing they can do to help her. Jordana is now seeking help as she says there is no available for parents like her.
What Is Pica?
According to Cleveland Clinic, pica is an eating disorder in which a person compulsively eats non-food items. Pica can be expected and harmless depending on when and why a person does this, but in most cases could cause major problems if a person eats something toxic or dangerous.
Pica can happen to anyone at any age, although it is most commonly observed in young children under six years old, pregnant women, and people with certain mental health conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, intellectual liabilities, and schizophrenia.
Autism Speaks wrote in a paper that several common causes of pica include sensory feedback in which children eat non-food items to get a pleasurable or enjoyable feeling. Some children also have difficulty differentiating food from non-food items, which leads them to eat the latter. Another cause could be low levels of iron or zinc so children may be helped with vitamin supplements.
Medical and behavioral assessment is needed for treatment to be successful. Medical tests show if the child has a nutritional need or medical problems that could cause pica, while behavioral assessments can help parents understand the causes of the eating disorder and decide the best way to respond to the problem.
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