Open AccessPica in pregnancy in a privileged population: myth or reality
Author(s) -
MIKKELSEN TINA BROBY,
ANDERSEN ANNEMARIE NYBO,
OLSEN SJURDUR FRODI
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1080/00016340600676425
Subject(s) - pica (typography) , danish , medicine , pregnancy , cohort , gestation , cohort study , obstetrics , population , pediatrics , demography , environmental health , pathology , sociology , biology , world wide web , philosophy , linguistics , computer science , genetics
Background. In the literature pica is reported to be prevalent in pregnant women. Most studies have focused on less privileged populations, but is pica prevalent among privileged pregnant women? Methods. 100,000 pregnant women in the Danish National Birth Cohort were asked about pica in a food frequency questionnaire mailed in gestation week 25. Results. The response rate of the questionnaire was 70% of Danish National Birth Cohort participants. Only 14 women reported to have eaten substances that were clearly not foods, i.e. 0.02% had pica in this cohort of well nourished Danish women. Conclusion. It seems that, in privileged populations, pica is more a myth than a reality.