• Certain items, such as paint chips, may contain lead or other toxic substances and eating them can cause poisoning/toxicity. Lead poisoning is known to cause learning disabilities and brain damage and is therefore the most concerning and deadly side effect of pica.
• Eating non-food objects can hamper with eating healthy food, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
• Eating objects that cannot be digested, such as stones, can cause constipation or obstruction in the digestive tract.
• Eating hard or sharp objects (such as paperclips or metal scraps) can cause tears in the delicate inner lining of intestines.
• Bacteria or parasites ingested along with dirt or other objects can cause serious infections, which can cause damage to the kidneys or liver.
• Family life is affected to an extent
• PICA during pregnancy can have harmful effects on the unborn baby as well as the pregnant lady
• Increased risk of epilepsy
• It can cause damage to the brain which may result in mental retardation
• Pervasive developmental disorders- these are very common nowadays, like autism