This is certainly an unusual habit. However, in direct answer to your question, it probably has done little harm to her digestion. The major component of the toilet paper, wood pulp would simply act as roughage.
Hereof, how can I help my child with pica?
Put a favorite food on your child’s plate. Reward your child for eating from the plate and not putting the non-food items in his/her mouth. Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse about having his/her iron and zinc status tested. Low levels of these nutrients can contribute to pica.
- Eating sand or soil, this potentially leads to gastric pain and bleeding.
- Consuming clay, which may cause constipation.
- Ingesting paint, could put a person at risk for contracting lead poisoning.
- Eating metal objects, this could lead to bowel perforation.
Additionally, what does it mean to crave toilet paper?
Xylophagia is a condition involving the consumption of paper and form of eating disorder known as pica. Pica is an unusual craving for ingestion of either edible or inedible substances.
What does it mean when kids eat toilet paper?
For the uninitiated, pica (pronounced PY-kah) is an appetite for non-food items. This tendency is relatively common in children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. They may try to eat all sorts of things. The items I most commonly hear about are paper, soap, pebbles, thread and bits of clothing.