Craving For Non-Food Substances
One of the sintomas ng paglilihi ng buntis is the craving of substances lacking nutritional value. This condition is called pica or pica cravings. Pica, or the deliberate ingestion of nonfood items, has been a nutritional puzzle for millennia.
Magpies are birds famous for eating almost anything, hence the word pica, which is the Latin word for magpie.
Many pregnant women encounter cravings during their pregnancy. Although it’s commonly for edible food like ice cream or meat, there are some instances when cravings for non-food substances like dirt or chalk are triggered by pregnancy
Common Pica Cravings
Dirt, clay, and laundry starch are the most common substances craved during pregnancy.
The following are other common pica cravings:
- Soaps, shampoo, and toothpaste
- Burnt matches and charcoal
- Stones, sand and plaster
- Mothballs and baking soda
Risks of Pica
Pica can be dangerous as both you and your baby may be harmed by consuming non-food substances.
Consuming non-food substances may interfere with nutrition absorption from healthy foods and lead to nutritional deficiency. In addition, pica cravings can also be harmful since some non-food items contain parasites and toxic chemicals.
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