American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 12, 388-393, Copyright © 1963 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Treatment of Pica with a Vitamin and Mineral Supplement

¹ From the Research Foundation, Children's Hospital of the District of Columbia, Washington, D. C.

In a double-blind experiment twelve Negro children with pica were given a multiple vitamin and mineral preparation daily, which contained 75 mg. of ascorbic acid, for a period of six to seven weeks. A comparable group of twelve Negro children with pica, who served as controls, were given placebos daily.

At the end of the treatment period seven children in each group were symptom-free or much improved. The plasma level of ascorbic acid rose significantly in the treated group but not in the control group. At a final check on pica three to thirteen months after the end of the treatment period, only three children in each group were reported to have frequent pica. Treatment with a multiple vitamin and mineral preparation was no more effective in curing or improving the habit of pica than placebos.

Results of this experiment are in accord with previous findings that pica is a complicated environmental, cultural and psychologic problem.