30% of pregnant women crave nonfood items, an eating disorder called pica.
According to the 5 th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, pica is a condition involving persistent eating of nonfood substances for over at least 1 month that is not part of cultural or social practice. 1 Pica occurs more frequently during pregnancy – close to 30% of pregnant or postpartum women experience pica worldwide, with the highest prevalence in Africa. 2-4 The prevalence numbers may be underreported because many pregnant women feel uncomfortable reporting the condition. 3 Most common cravings consist of clay or dirt (geophagia), large amounts of ice (pagophagia), or raw starch (amylophagia).