<P> Pica is most commonly seen in pregnant women, small children, and those with developmental disabilities such as autism . Children eating painted plaster containing lead may suffer brain damage from lead poisoning . There is a similar risk from eating soil near roads that existed before tetraethyllead in petrol was phased out (in some countries) or before people stopped using contaminated oil (containing toxic PCBs or dioxin) to settle dust . In addition to poisoning, there is also a much greater risk of gastro - intestinal obstruction or tearing in the stomach . Another risk of eating soil is the ingestion of animal feces and accompanying parasites . Pica can also be found in other animals and is commonly found in dogs and cats . </P> <P> Pica is the consumption of substances with no significant nutritional value such as soil, soap or ice . Subtypes are characterized by the substance eaten: </P> <Ul> <Li> Acuphagia (sharp objects) </Li> <Li> Amylophagia (starch) </Li> <Li> Cautopyreiophagia (burnt matches) </Li> <Li> Coniophagia (dust) </Li> <Li> Coprophagia (feces) </Li> <Li> Emetophagia (vomit) </Li> <Li> Geomelophagia (raw potatoes) </Li> <Li> Geophagia (dirt, soil, clay) </Li> <Li> Hyalophagia (glass) </Li> <Li> Lithophagia (stones) </Li> <Li> Mucophagia (mucus) </Li> <Li> Pagophagia (ice) </Li> <Li> Plumbophagia (lead) </Li> <Li> Trichophagia (hair, wool, and other fibers) </Li> <Li> Urophagia (urine) </Li> <Li> Hematophagia (Vampirism) (blood) </Li> <Li> Xylophagia (wood, or derivates of wood such as paper) </Li> </Ul> <Li> Acuphagia (sharp objects) </Li>

What is it called when you chew on things