Pica practices of pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya

To establish the prevalence of pica behaviour during pregnancy; to identify the substances commonly ingested and their prevalence; and to determine the characteristics of women who reported practising pica.

Descriptive, cross sectional study involving use of questionnaire administered in interview format.

Pumwani Maternity Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.

One hundred and seventy one antenatal women with a mean age of 28.1 (+/-7.3) years. Subjects were selected based on availability; accessibility and willingness to participate in the study.

Seven hundred and ninety three (74.0%) participants reported practising pica regularly on daily basis. Pica prevalence categorised by substances ingested was as follows: soft stones (odowa); 89.8%; soil, 61.2%; and others, 9.6% and no pica, 26.0%. Majority of women who reported practising pica (62.5%) ingested more than one substance. Most women who practised pica reported having experienced strong cravings prior to ingestion of pica items, childhood pica, pica before pregnancy, pica in previous pregnancy and a history of pica in family members and significant others in the community.

Pica prevalence was significantly high among the subjects indicating that pica in pregnancy might be more common and independent in Kenya than health care providers assume or observe. There is need to routinely screen pregnant women for pica during antenatal visits as this will provide a more systematic and a less expensive way of establishing its epidemiological status. A nation-wide investigation of pica prevalence is also recommended in order to establish pica prevalence at national level and among different socio-economic groups. Further studies are also needed to establish possible health consequences of pica on mother and child.