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Pica
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Pica

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines pica as eating non-nutritive, non-food substances over a period of at least one month. Additionally, the behavior must not be in keeping with the child’s developmental stage and must not be socially normative or culturally acceptable behavior. The nature of ingested items is variable, including but not limited to earth (geophagy), raw starches (amylophagy), ice (pagophagia), charcoal, ash, paper, chalk, cloth, baby powder, coffee grounds, and eggshells. This activity describes the risk factors, evaluation, and management of pica and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in enhancing care delivery for affected patients.

Credit & MOC Details

Credit information is provided by the course provider. We recommend confirming credit eligibility with the provider or your licensing board before starting the activity.