# Why does my daughter eats drywall? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-daughter-eats-drywall/316549 "2005-08-11T03:07:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-daughter-eats-drywall/316549/1 "2005-08-11T03:07:11Z")
She is two years old and recently started this wierd thing. Where there is a corner with no trim she always tries (and sometimes gets a bit) to eat the drywall. And I would of thought it was just testing her chompers, until I saw this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=329394). Since she is scheduled for a check-up next Tuesday is it something I should ask the doctor about? Won’t be a problem regardless as I will have the trim up this weekend. But still that “pica” that was discussed in that other thread grabbed my attention. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-daughter-eats-drywall/316549/2 "2005-08-11T03:35:02Z")
Is there any reason not to ask the doctor about it? ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-daughter-eats-drywall/316549/3 "2005-08-11T03:40:04Z")
Actually, I don’t think I would wait until next Tuesday. Why don’t you call the kid’s doctor in the morning tomorrow and get some advice. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-daughter-eats-drywall/316549/4 "2005-08-11T03:50:35Z")
> **[Childhood pica. Some aspects of the clinical profile in Manchester, Jamaica -...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2333694/?dopt=Abstract)** > > The clinical profile of 108 children aged 1 1/2 years to 10 years who practised pica was compared to that of 50 non-pica patients aged 2 years to 10 years. Of the patients with pica, 85% were less than 5 years of age and 29% were aged 1 1/2 years to... Lots of kids eat paste, for example. This may be a sign of anemia, a family tradition of eating indigestibles or just a phase. I’m not sure what your general question is. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-daughter-eats-drywall/316549/5 "2005-08-11T03:58:28Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Is there any reason not to ask the doctor about it? To be completely honest I did not think much of it, as my son would bite the corner of the coffee tables, his crib etc. So I just assumed it was something normal. > [@Uvula Donor](#): > > Actually, I don’t think I would wait until next Tuesday. Why don’t you call the kid’s doctor in the morning tomorrow and get some advice. Seriously. I will do just that, after reading more about it thanks to **Dr\_Paprika** and other Googled information I am more concerned then I was previously. > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...4&dopt=Abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...4&dopt=Abstract) > > Lots of kids eat paste, for example. This may be a sign of anemia, a family tradition of eating indigestibles or just a phase. > > I’m not sure what your general question is. My general question is, should it be something I should be concerned about. And the general consensus is yes. Which I thank you for. To be frank, I thought it was just a normal “quirk” .