jallison25 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Hi! My dd is 5 (in 3 days she will be) and lately has been eating non-food things. She is sneaking them. Toothpaste has been the big one. She keeps eating it. I have had to lock it up. She also has been sneaking big handfuls of salt. She seems embarrassed by it. I talked to her about it but tried to be extra nice. I locked up the toothpaste and she licked it off the counters after the kids were done brushing their teeth. I found out afterwards. What in the world is going on??????? She is cognitively typical if that makes a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Have you taken her to her doctor? Sounds like pica or a need for a nutrient her body is lacking. I have heard of several medical conditions that cause people to crave salt, though I don't know the names off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissad2 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Have you taken her to her doctor?Sounds like pica or a need for a nutrient her body is lacking. I have heard of several medical conditions that cause people to crave salt, though I don't know the names off the top of my head. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Have you taken her to her doctor?Sounds like pica or a need for a nutrient her body is lacking. I have heard of several medical conditions that cause people to crave salt, though I don't know the names off the top of my head. :iagree: It could be medical or it could be age-related? My DD went through a stage where she was eating toilet paper.... ??? (IDK if she was actually swallowing or just chewing on it...and ETA: it was clean toilet paper. :p) But salt & toothpaste could potentially be harmful (I would guess) in larger doses; perhaps calling your family dr. for suggestions/input? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Have you taken her to her doctor?Sounds like pica or a need for a nutrient her body is lacking. I have heard of several medical conditions that cause people to crave salt, though I don't know the names off the top of my head. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jallison25 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 i did call the doc. She has her 5 year appointment scheduled for the 17th so the nurse i talked to said she thought it was fine for us to wait till then, as long as i kept everything away from her. i guess i'm just nervous. Wondering if anyone has dealt with this before. I used to work with kiddos w/ autism and am very familiar with Pica. I was just suprised to see this happen to her randomly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 My dd went through a period of chewing on dog bones. Since she was going through a bad period otherwise, I decided to take her to the pediatrician and get some bloodwork done but all was normal. It was a phase. I'd talk to the doctor just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jallison25 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 My dd went through a period of chewing on dog bones. Since she was going through a bad period otherwise, I decided to take her to the pediatrician and get some bloodwork done but all was normal. It was a phase. I'd talk to the doctor just in case. thanks! that actually makes me feel better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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