strange eating habits, ps

[Guest guest]

I should have mentioned, regarding pica and eating dirt----- a child

can get lead poisoning from this.

My two year old loved dirt, I would catch him eating handfuls of it (I

know, yuck!) I was concerned, because he

was unusually irritable... had him tested and found out that he had mild

lead poisoning.

[Guest guest]

I just got this in an email from National Autism Resources and it seemed appropriate to our conversations about eating odd things, chewing, etc. so thought I'd send it along.

----- L. Sweetman, MA, HCHolistic Health Counselor

Reach Your Life WellnessYour Life...Now!http://reachyourlife.com

Moderator of the Families Eating Healthy Yahoo! Group

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/FamiliesEatingHealthy/

6 Reasons Why Kids Chew on their Clothes

Do you have a child who is constantly chewing on their clothes or other non-edible items?  The following is a list of six common reasons kids chew.

Kids use chewing to assist with attention and focus. Lots of kids are chewing on their clothes at school because they use chewing as a way to help them pay attention.

Kids are chewing because they have a dental issue, either molars are coming in or they have a cavity.

Chewing is calming.

There may be a connection between not moving and chewing. The theory is our bodies need to move and expend energy.  Therefore, kids who are inside a lot or have trouble with movement tend chew to release pent up energy.

Kids may also be chewing on their clothes because they have a need to stimulate their jaw muscles. This is especially true of kids who eat a soft or pureed diet.

They may have Pica.

If you are concerned about a child's chewing make sure to talk to a health professional.