A 12-year-old girl has a 20-centimeter "hair stone" removed from her stomach, and the child should be vigilant if he has this habit

Recently, a 12-year-old girl in Yangzhou had frequent vomiting, and when she went to the hospital for examination, she found that her stomach was stuffed with "stones", causing obstruction.

Careful questioning found that the girl has had a habit of eating hair and nails since she was a child, and it has been 5-6 years. The hair that is eaten cannot be digested, and the pyloric entrance of the stomach is small and cannot be discharged, and over time, 20 cm long hair stones grow.

This is the result of "pica" in medicine. What is pica and who is prone to pica?

Pica is a special habit that is an excessive interest in something that cannot be eaten, and a desire to eat. For example, he likes to eat soil, paper, hair, small stones, etc.

Pica generally begins at an early age and is common in girls between the ages of 5 and 10. The specific reasons are not very clear, and may be related to psychological, physiological, environmental and other factors.

Some people may lack certain substances in their bodies, such as iron, zinc, minerals and vitamins, so they try to find something special to eat to meet their needs.

Pica is largely related to psychological factors, such as emotional distress, stress, anxiety and depression. It was a habit developed in childhood to perceive the world through oral exploration, so I tasted these things as food.

If parents find that their child has pica, they should correct it as soon as possible. Because the food eaten may be unhygienic, contain bacteria or toxic substances, and the stones, soil or hair that are eaten cannot be digested and absorbed, it is easy to have perforation, obstruction, inflammation and other aspects of the digestive tract.

For children with pica, psychological support is given to inform them about the dangers of eating these things. Establish healthy eating and living habits, supervise and intervene in children's behavior, ensure that children's nutrition is balanced, and do not be picky eaters. Ask a specialist to help make adjustments if necessary. #异食#