RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Pets, pica, pathogens and pre-school children
JF The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
JO J R Coll Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 740
OP 742
VO 31
IS 233
A1 R. W. Newton
A1 Tom Stack
A1 R. E. Blair
A1 J. C. Keel
YR 1981
UL http://bjgp.org/content/31/233/740.abstract
AB The incidence of pica in pre-school children was investigated by studying 192 children attending a general paediatric hospital clinic and 69 attending a general practice surgery. The incidence of pica was twice as common in those who kept pets in both study groups. Half of the pet-keeping children with pica had eaten their pet's food. Imitative behaviour is suggested as a probable cause. Pet-keeping compounds a child's risk of infestation not only by providing close contact with a reservoir of enteropathogens but also by encouraging pica.