Epidemiology of pica amongst pregnant women and its clinical, psychological, basic science, realities and myths in UAE

Abstract

Background: Pica is an eating disorder that affects pregnant women which is manifested by craving for ingestion of non-food items that are unusual in kind or quantity e.g. soil, ice, dirt, hair, chalk. Although there is a rich literature describing this behavior from most parts of the world, there is a dearth of studies reporting this behavior in UAE. Aims and Objectives: This cross-sectional exploration study sought to determine the prevalence of pica, its various patterns of presentation, causes, related misconceptions and its impact on behavior and health of pregnant women and their infants in Dubai, UAE. Materials and Method: A random sample of pregnant women (n = 60) were interviewed using an online questionnaire during 2020. Results: The results showed that 57.9% of interviewed women practiced pica, with pagophagia having the highest prevalence (20.4%) followed by sapophagia (8.2%), amylophagia (2%), geophagia (2%), baking soda (2%), coffee ground (2%), roses (2%), paper (2%) and many other rare forms collectively adding up to 59.4%. Age and level of education were not significantly related to the practice of pica. Interestingly, 32.8% of the interviewed women reported that other family members also practiced many patterns of pica during their pregnancies. Effects, myths or misconceptions of pica are also addressed in the study. Conclusion: Several patterns of pica are highly prevalent among pregnant women in the UAE, with pagophagia and sapophagia being the most commonly encountered forms. More than half of the women showed symptoms of stress and anxiety which highlights the importance of studying the pica as a “stress mediator during pregnancy. Iron deficiency anemia and malnutrition are the biggest contributors to the development of pica following pregnancy. In this study, 25% of the respondents had both anaemia and pica. Majority of women were uncertain of the harmful effects of pica which clearly points at the lack of knowledge and understanding of pica. 17.5% of the respondents considered pica to be important for a healthy pregnancy. Given the results, there is no significant relation between the level of education and the practice of pica as 63.3% were graduates of college and University. Our study concluded that pica in pregnant women is associated with weight gain, anemia and polycythemia among their babies.