Does your toddler have a strange propensity for putting mud, wall plaster, chalks, sand, and other such dirt or rather ‘inedible’ items into his mouth? If your answer to this question is a slightly embarrassed ‘yes’ – don’t worry. It’s only natural to feel concerned, maybe even a little disgusted, when you see your child eating dirty stuff that’s possibly infected with harmful bacteria, parasites, and germs. No matter how hard you try to explain this to your child, the warning will simply fall on deaf ears. Your child may even start putting things in his mouth when you’re not looking. While you’re worried sick about all those toxins and bacteria adversely affecting your kid, your child blissfully relishes the taste.
Don’t feel too hopeless, because your child is not the only one who does this. Dirt is one of the most common non-food items that young children everywhere tend to eat, and it doesn’t necessarily always have to be a cause for concern.
[vs slide=”1″ slide_title=”Why Do Toddlers Eat Dirt?”]
Why Do Toddlers Eat Dirt?
It is, in fact, developmentally appropriate for toddlers and young children to put everything they can lay their hands on into their mouths. They are very curious by nature, and by allowing their sense of smell and taste to lead them around, they gradually start exploring their surroundings to get more familiar with them. A few researchers even suggest that this practice is evolutionary.1
They are exploring, are very curious and their sense of smell and taste leads them around. Usually, a child wouldn’t eat dirt again if he dislikes the taste. Sometimes, however, it’s not just the taste but also the new texture that appeals to children and tempts them to put things in their mouth. Your child doesn’t know anything about bacteria or viruses or how these could potentially harm their health. They really just do things like these to entertain and please themselves. As your children grow up, this problem will be resolved on its own when paired with your constant guidance and supervision.
[vs slide=”2″ slide_title=”Develops Immunity”]
Benefits Of Eating Dirt
Strangely enough, eating dirt has its own set of benefits.
1. Develops Immunity
The human immune system is designed to release antibodies that fight against foreign bacteria that could be harmful to the body. In the recent years, there has been a significant rise in the number of auto-immune disorders like inflammatory bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and allergies. In such disorders, the body produces antibodies, but mistakes healthy tissues for harmful bacteria and destroys them. In some auto-immune diseases, the body may fail to develop enough antibodies to fight the infection. There is a hygiene hypothesis which proposes that if the immune system is trained well, it can learn to strengthen itself well, and thus increase the resistance of the body against diseases and infections. Hence, eating dirt during childhood is a good way for the child’s body to develop immunity.
[vs slide=”3″ slide_title=”Mineral Supplements”]
2. Mineral Supplements
Dirt in the form of clay or soil is a rich source of minerals and may sometimes help to supplement the diet.2
[vs slide=”4″ slide_title=”Probiotic Properties”]
3. Probiotic Properties
Soil contains certain bacteria which are actually healthy for the human gut. Ingesting these may actually help the body perform its digestive functions well.3 This kind of bacteria has also be found to help cure leaky gut syndrome and Crohn’s disease.4
[vs slide=”5″ slide_title=”Heals Stomach Aches”]
4. Heals Stomach Aches
White clay often contains a substance called Kaolin, which interestingly, is used as an ingredient in medicines to heal stomach upsets.5
Caution: Anything in excess is bad for the human body, and in this case, too much clay can get your child constipated.
[vs slide=”6″ slide_title=”Chemical Poisoning”]
Dangers Of Eating Too Much Dirt
While most child experts claim that eating dirt is a normal behavior in children and that there are a few ways your child can benefit from this practice, it also entails some dangers.
1. Chemical Poisoning
Depending on certain factors that could affect your child’s surroundings, such as proximity to factories, the soil that your child ingests may contain heavy metals like lead and arsenic. Lead is a common element which is also found in commonly used household items like paint and wood polishes. Consuming lead in large quantities can permanently impair the nervous system of young children while consuming arsenic could make kids more vulnerable to cancer.
[vs slide=”7″ slide_title=”Parasites”]
2. Parasites
Parasites like ringworms are another huge concern when it comes to the health of your young children. Ingesting a certain form of ringworm could result either in death, or serious neurological damage to the child if he survives.
Toxocariasis is another condition that may lead to a loss of vision, asthma, or a sudden epileptic fit, caused by a type of worm called Toxacora. These are mainly found in dog and cat feces, and can easily find their way into the soil that your child is putting into his mouth.
Most parasites are ingested through feces or other sewage in the dirt.
[vs slide=”8″ slide_title=”Gastrointestinal Problems”]
3. Gastrointestinal Problems
Eating inedible stuff like hair, bird droppings, or sand could lead to an increased risk of such blockage of the intestines. Nowadays, most of the soil is highly contaminated with chemicals. They are also sprayed with insecticides and pesticides, packed with a whole lot of bacteria that come from manure and sewage along with pet feces and worms. All of this may lead to various stomach infections or even food poisoning. Continuous ingestion of these could cause abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
[vs slide=”9″ slide_title=”Problematic Symptoms”]
4. Problematic Symptoms
As mentioned earlier, children usually outgrow eating dirt as they grow older and you keep a constant eye on them. However, this habit can become a concern when kids continue to eat dirt and other things even when they reach their primary school years.
Eating dirt can be a form of pica, a disease characterized by irresistible desire to eat non-food items, which other kids would have outgrown with time and age. Pica could be associated with calcium, zinc or iron deficiency in the body.6 Malnutrition is another condition which could induce cravings for non-food items.
Somewhere between the ages of 1 to 6 years, 10% to 30% of children are most likely to develop this eating disorder.
The word pica is derived from the Latin name of a magpie – a bird which is known for its strange eating behavior. Pica is usually also an indicator of developmental disabilities like mental retardation, brain injury, or autism. In fact, Pica can also be found in pregnant women and those with epilepsy.7
Signs And Symptoms To Look Out For
- Consistent consumption of dirt for a month or more, despite efforts to curtail the behavior
- Continuation of the behavior beyond ages 2 or 3
- Ingestion of more than 500 mg of dirt daily
Consult your pediatrician if your toddler exhibits any of these symptoms. Pica is often a temporary condition in children but can continue to persist if your child is suffering from mental or developmental problems.
[vs slide=”10″ slide_title=”Ensuring Safe Play In Dirt And Mud”]
Ensuring Safe Play In Dirt And Mud
Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when it comes to limiting your child’s exposure to soil dangers.
- Instead of just sweeping the floor, keep the practice of wet mopping, preferably along with adding a liquid disinfectant to your water
- Dust your furniture on a daily basis. This will reduce the availability of dust.
- Ensure that there are no chipped paints within the reach of your child.
- Throw away pet poop, stray leaves, stones, and pebbles from your balcony, front porch, and backyard.
- If you have potted plants around the house, place them high up on wall, or a ledge – far away from your child’s reach
- If your house has a garden or a lawn, consider the option of fencing it with a gate to prevent your child from getting out onto the main road.
- It is always best to supervise play with your children in the garden, in the playground, or in the park. While taking your children to play in sand pits, remember at the back of your head that infants can choke on the gritty texture of sand. It’s also a good idea to advise them against throwing sand into others eyes, ears or mouth.
- Make sure to keep pet food away from your child, it may cause salmonella infections
- Train your children to wash their hands and mouth after coming back from the outdoors, regardless of whether they have played in dirt or not.
- Ensure that your child gets a healthy balanced diet with increased amount of calcium, iron, and zinc. These can be given in the form of red meat, eggs, grains, liver, seafood, cereals, legumes, and dairy products. Consult your pediatrician; he may prescribe additional supplements for your child.
Remember, your child’s habit of eating dirt is nothing to panic over, for it is just a developmental phase. It is in fact also a constant reminder that your child needs constant supervision, attention, and plenty of love.
References
