A case of pica and iron deficiency anaemia in Nottingham

Pica is the persistent eating of a non-nutritional substance (as defined by the American Psychiatric Association) and is often associated with iron deficiency. Current literature leaves uncertain whether pica causes iron deficiency via its proposed effect on iron absorption or, conversely, whether iron deficiency causes pica. We report the case of a young girl from Nottingham who we believe developed pica secondary to her iron deficiency anaemia. To determine that her pica was not affecting gastrointestinal iron absorption we carried out iron absorption studies first under pica and then under normal dietary conditions.