Is eating ice during your pregnancy seems joyful, and you do not know why? But you like it? This article may give you some information to help you know, if craving ice while you are pregnant, is a safe thing or not. So you can finally know what is going on in your body! Having a strong desire to eat ice dices while pregnant is known to be a form of pica. Moreover, pica is described by the craving to eat non-food things like soil, clay, chalk, chips, paint, and plaster. These eating habits are considered irresistible. It is most common in children and pregnant women, but pica can affect anyone.
Why Do So Many Women Crave Eating Ice While Pregnant?
Meanwhile, the reason behind people developing pica is not yet known, and understanding exactly this case is somehow limited. Lack of iron can be a reason to pica as some studies have shown, specifying that deficiencies have a great role to play in this case. The interesting thing is that people who suffer from a lack of iron do not crave to eat non-food items. In a recent study, research participants without anemia is a very low phagocytosis rate (4%); participants with anemia had a significantly higher percentage (56%). It was also found that the ice crunch gives the examined anemic participant a mental boost. Anemic individuals showed an important process in response time to neuropsychological Tests, but this was not the case with the participants who do not have this case.
Is pagophagia Very Common?
Since up to one of five pregnant women regularly craves ice cubes, this is one of the most popular wishes for pregnancy. It is known that the treatment of anemia can reduce desire. If you are always craving ice, consult your doctor first before taking an iron supplement. However, during pregnancy, it is important to take enough iron from natural foods, which can ideally be absorbed and will not cause constipation issues.
While you are pregnant, craving ice cubes can be your favorite activity due to hormonal changes in your body. It is normal that almost all pregnant women do so, there were no associated negative results. The ice is not considered harmful to the human body, regardless of whether it is pregnant or not. Ice is certainly a safe choice for pregnant women, especially when compared to the desire for Clay and dirt.
In medicine, the temptation to consume ice is called “phagocytosis”. However, regular crunch on ice can cause severe toothache and severe sore throat due to the cold. The urge to eat food with low nutritional value is caused by symptoms of pica, which often occurs in women with low iron content.
Read also: Must-Know Diet Tips For Pregnant Women
Risks of Consuming Excessive Ice in Pregnancy
Consuming large amounts of ice while you are pregnant could cause the following issues:
1. Teeth Problems
Crunching too much ice can damage your teeth, during pregnancy because your body now is sensitive especially your teeth. The ice can damage the enamel on your teeth increases the sensitivity towards, hot and cold food. It is best to melt the ice in the tongue instead of biting the cube.
2. Malnutrition
If a future mother succumbed to the desire to eat ice, this could jeopardize her health and also her baby’s. Your fetus may not be able to have all the essential elements it needs to grow. If you do not eat well, your health is at severe risk.
3. A Sore Throat
Sore throat during pregnancy is a usual case, but if your diet contains ice dices, this can lead to a worse situation. This stimulates the neck and makes life difficult in an already difficult case.
4. Choking
Whether or not you are pregnant, this is a health risk that you should consider. The accidental ingestion of large amounts of ice can lead to Suffocation. Make sure that the ice cube is small and always pay attention to what you eat.
The Demand for ice will certainly disappear (in most cases), so you can be sure that it is a temporary step. However, if it lasts for a long time, consult your doctor for information on iron deficiency and similar situations. You can determine your iron level with a simple blood test.
We hope this article helped you. If you have any questions or feedback, do not hesitate to mention them in the comment section below, we will be so happy to help you!
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