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[Pica in tunisian children. Results of a survey performed in a polyclinic of the tunisian social security national administration].

During a 15 month-period, 63, 10 to 59 month-old children, with pica habits were collected in a day care centre of the Caisse nationale de sécurité sociale in Tunis. Anemia was the main alert sign. They were compared with 43 non pica children presenting with a similar degree of anemia. The male to female ratio was 1.42. A family history of pica was present in 57% of the cases. Most children ingested earth but 50% of the patients ingested multiple substances. The beginning of the eating disorder was observed between 12 and 18 months in 71% of the cases. 95% of pica patients were from low income parents and urban status. No differences were observed between the pica children and the anemic children without pica habits in term of anamnestic, clinical and biological data. Treatment with iron supplements led to cessation of pica in most patients. The physiopathological hypothesis were dominated by iron and zinc deficiency of which geophagia can be, at the same time, the cause and the consequence. From our study, pica appears to remain very frequent among Tunisian children. Its prevention requires information of parents and dietary prevention of early iron deficiency.