Pica in pregnancy in a privileged population: myth or reality.
BACKGROUND
In the literature pica is reported to be prevalent in pregnant women. Most studies have focused on less privileged populations, but is pica prevalent among privileged pregnant women?


METHODS
100,000 pregnant women in the Danish National Birth Cohort were asked about pica in a food frequency questionnaire mailed in gestation week 25.


RESULTS
The response rate of the questionnaire was 70% of Danish National Birth Cohort participants. Only 14 women reported to have eaten substances that were clearly not foods, i.e. 0.02% had pica in this cohort of well nourished Danish women.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that, in privileged populations, pica is more a myth than a reality.
Mikkelsen
Tina Broby
TB
Maternal Nutrition Group, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, Copenhagen S, DK-2300, Denmark. tbs@ssi.dk
Andersen
Anne-Marie Nybo
AM
Olsen
Sjurdur Frodi
SF
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D010842:Pica / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires