Pica Practices of Pregnant Women from Four Wic Clinics in Texas

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To describe pica practices during pregnancy and the association of pica with nutrient intake, pregnancy outcome, and maternal hemoglobin at delivery The objectives of this study were to determine pica practices during pregnancy, and the association of pica with nutrient intake, infant birthweight, gestational age, and maternal hemoglobin at delivery. Mothers (n=281) with infants less than one year old who participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) were interviewed regarding pica practices during pregnancy at four clinics in Houston and Prairie View, TX. Their medical records from 31 area hospitals were abstracted. The subjects were 88.6% African American, 6.8% Hispanic, and 4.6% Caucasian. Pica prevalence by substance was as follows: ice 53.7%; ice and freezer frost 14.6%, other substances such as baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, laundry starch, baby powder, and clay or dirt 8.2%; and no pica 23.5%. Seventy percent of women who reported ice pica had relatives who practiced ice pica. When asked why they ate pica substances, 50% of women just “craved it” or “didn't know”. Ninety percent of women who reported ice pica ate it daily. Women who did not report pica had the highest mean educational level, highest prevalence of vitamin usage in all three trimesters, lowest prevalence of smoking, and highest participation in WIC during pregnancy. Using available 24-hour dietary recalls, there were no differences in nutrient intakes between women who practiced ice pica (n=103) and women who denied pica (n=50). There were no significant differences in birthweight or gestational age among infants born to mothers who practiced pica vs. mothers who did not. Women who practiced pica had significantly lower hemoglobin at delivery (p = 0.004) than women who did not report pica. These findings suggest that pica was not associated with pregnancy outcome but was associated with lower maternal hemoglobin at delivery