Bizarre case of the toddler who eats nails
Source: Xinhua |
June 13, 2010, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AN 18-month-old Chinese girl who repeatedly excreted nails may be suffering from pica, an eating disorder characterized by persistent cravings to eat nonfood items such as dirt or cigarette butts, doctors said yesterday.
Pediatricians from Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, made the diagnosis after they studied the bizarre case of Ting Ting (not her real name).
"Pica is likely, but we need to carry out further research," said Professor Gao Ya from the No. 2 Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University. "It's very strange where she got all these nails."
Ting Ting's mother, Liu Xiaoya, claimed they had no such nails at home. "Her grandfather said he had some, but didn't know whether any were missing," Liu said.
Pica is an eating disorder often caused by deficiency of zinc, iron or other trace elements.
Blood tests, however, indicated the girl's zinc, calcium and magnesium levels were normal. Only her iron level was slightly low, said Dr Chen Hongxiong, of the Children's Hospital of Yulin City.
The girl excreted 21 nails and a steel pin over the past month, but showed no signs of illness and ate and drank as usual.
She continued to excrete nails in hospital. X-rays showed she still had a nail and a steel pin in her stomach.
Pediatricians from Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, made the diagnosis after they studied the bizarre case of Ting Ting (not her real name).
"Pica is likely, but we need to carry out further research," said Professor Gao Ya from the No. 2 Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University. "It's very strange where she got all these nails."
Ting Ting's mother, Liu Xiaoya, claimed they had no such nails at home. "Her grandfather said he had some, but didn't know whether any were missing," Liu said.
Pica is an eating disorder often caused by deficiency of zinc, iron or other trace elements.
Blood tests, however, indicated the girl's zinc, calcium and magnesium levels were normal. Only her iron level was slightly low, said Dr Chen Hongxiong, of the Children's Hospital of Yulin City.
The girl excreted 21 nails and a steel pin over the past month, but showed no signs of illness and ate and drank as usual.
She continued to excrete nails in hospital. X-rays showed she still had a nail and a steel pin in her stomach.
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