Wrexham toddler eats books, toys and doorframes due to disorder

Many parents want their toddlers to keep their eyes on the back of their heads when they start reaching for things they shouldn’t, but for Jess Harry it seems like nothing is off-limits for her son Junior.

The mother of two first realized she liked eating inedible things when she licked the Velcro on her tactile books as a baby.

The 21-month-old has since “gobbled up a handful” of sand and eaten furniture throughout her home, including her own cot as well as playgroup rugs.

Junior wasn’t diagnosed until September. pica – A situation in which a person repeatedly eats non-edible items that have no nutritional value and that they desire.

“Even if he doesn’t have anything, he’ll search, he’ll find something,” said Jess, of Brymbo in Wrexham.

The 31-year-old had to take Junior out of nursery after he ate a “disgusting amount of sand”.

Jess acknowledged the ridiculous nature of the situations Junior sometimes finds himself in, but said there was a serious side to it too.

Jess had to move Junior into a metal toddler bed after he started eating his wooden cot, but it meant he could go out at night and chew on the door frame.

This led to lead being found in his blood because “old layers of paint contained lead.”

Junior will currently remain in his travel cot or playpen until the issue is resolved and Jess raised the lead paint issue with housing association Clwyd Alyn but said it was not taken seriously and no action was taken.

Clwyd Alyn said repair work was planned to be carried out at the property and that it would “continue to liaise with the family and act quickly with appropriate guidance on how to deal with this situation going forward”.

Junior has a variety of textures he prefers, but Jess said wood and cardboard are his current obsessions.

He and his seven-year-old brother Jack love playing with Hot Wheels, but Jess has to keep Junior in a plastic tub after he bites the basket they bought for their toy car.

When we went to the supermarket to buy a blind, Jess was leaving the store with Junior and had “chewed the box inside the blind when we got to the car”.

“It literally takes seconds. I know it sounds incredible.”

Jess had never heard of pica, but at the suggestion of a play leader, health visitors ordered blood tests that revealed iron deficiency, a possible cause of pica, and Junior was able to make a diagnosis.

Licorice is one of the “safe alternatives” the family uses to encourage Junior to switch to more edible foods.

It seems to work because it’s “literally a stick” but it’s not suitable for when he’s playing because it can be a choking hazard.

Another recent swap is Weetabix, which mimics the dry, crunchy texture Junior prefers.

“He can’t be left alone. If I leave him in the living room, away from the walls, which is a safe zone for Teenagers, there’s still something he’s doing or up to,” Jess said.

“I just think, what happens next? I joke and say I should live in an empty shipping container.”

• IT can occur in people of all agesgebut is more likely to first appear in children and is often found along with another medical or developmental condition
• Like other eating disorders, there is no cure for it, but steps to manage it include redirecting attention, managing anxiety, and replacing picacious items with similar but safe alternatives.
• Digital Health and Care Wales He said there was no record of the number of people diagnosed and was only tracked by hospital admissions
• However, since not all patients require hospitalization, the figures recorded probably underestimate the prevalence.

Jess said Junior is a “really fussy eater” which makes alternatives difficult, but she hopes Junior can “reason with him a bit” when he’s older.

National Pica Advisory ServiceThe organization, which offers specialized training and consultancy, said it has provided support to 250 families since its establishment in 2023.

He emphasized that pica could be fatal. 21 year old James Frank And 19 year old Owen Garnet.

The organization has produced guidelines to ensure official adoption of guidelines for health, social care, housing and education services to assess, diagnose and support people with pica.

Jess wishes more people knew about this condition so she doesn’t have to repeat herself, can access more support and feel less alone.

“Someone will invite you to the park and I feel like I’m always making excuses, but I know it’s better if I stay home because being at the park is more stressful for me.”