[dine]

I have a 1 1/2 year old boy who eats stones and soil. I have tried giving him liver meat but he refuses to eat it. Why is he doing this and am worried that it might bring a problem in the long run.

[J_9]

You need to take your son to a pediatrician. It may only be a 1 1/2 year old phase, but just in case. There is a disorder called PICA where people consume huge amounts of non-dietary substances such as ice chils, soil, sand, laundry starch, clay and plaster, and even strange things as hair, toilet paper, matchheads, innertubes, mothballs, and charcoal. If this is the case it is a compulsive disorder that MAY result from mineral deficiency. Another clue comes from a variation on pica called geophagy - "eating dirt" - that affects many types of animals including humans. This disorder is not as rare as it sounds. My mother-in-law is a 4th grade teacher and has seen this on numerous occasions.

Your pediatrician can run some blood tests to rule out this disorder and give better insight into what is going on.

[Stormy69]

EXCELLENT! Perfect answer J. I could not have stated it better. I would just like to add that pin worms can be easily picked up from eating soil/dirt, Make sure to have this checked out by your child's doctor also.

[J_9]

Forgot about pinworms, just had that lesson in Microbiology too. Many other kind of worms can be found in soil too.