How to get her to stop eating dirt?

[foodmachine]

This is my 1st GD inquiry. DD is 16.5 months. She's been eating dirt since the ground thawed in April. We are in the garden all.the.time. and I thought she would get over it after a few tries. She especially likes to mix it with water and drink it .
I have tried offering her snacks and water, showing her how to pretend to eat things and I have tried, "dirt is for planting, moving, playing...". I have tired "Stop", and "yuck". We can't not be around dirt so avoidance is out of the question.
I have tried not worrying about it too, but it's a lot of dirt all added up.
WWYD?

[elfimka]

I may be wrong, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. With my 18 month old, I let him lick and explore with his mouth, as long as it's not something he can choke on.

There is some research showing that it may be good for the child's developing immune system:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27brod.html


I'd probably worry if the dirt has rocks or other larger objects. Or if the dirt comes from the area that is sprayed with pesticides.

[elizawill]

my grandmother says, "god made dirt and dirt don't hurt",

not helpful i know... but funny!

[Raene]

Dirt used to be very healthy. Back in the 50s when my mom was eating dirt all the time, her doctor told her mom it was good for her and to let her continue eating her mud pies.

Now it's dangerous b/c we've put so much poison into it.

I am pregnant and have been craving dirt. A good alternative seems to be clay that you can buy at your local health food store. Maybe see if your daughter would eat that instead? It's full of minerals, as the dirt in the ground is, but without the harmful stuff.

[JamesMama]

I think eating dirt might be a sign of Pica? Maybe get her checked out...

[foodmachine]

Originally Posted by JamesMama

I think eating dirt might be a sign of Pica? Maybe get her checked out...

NAK. I looked up Pica. is eating dirt at 16.5 months not age appropriate? And the treatment for Pica I read was basically punishment (negative consequences for non-food). So I'm back at how to get her to stop...

The Pica article said to worry about scat and parasites in dirt. yuck!

[barefootbabies]

Originally Posted by foodmachine

NAK. I looked up Pica. is eating dirt at 16.5 months not age appropriate? And the treatment for Pica I read was basically punishment (negative consequences for non-food). So I'm back at how to get her to stop...

The Pica article said to worry about scat and parasites in dirt. yuck!

When my son was about the same age, he started eating sand all.the.time. I looked it up and read about Pica, but brushed it off for a while because everything I read said it was ok at his age. But it just didn't sit right with me. He would take a huge handfull, shove it all in his mouth, chew and swallow. Every chance he got. It didn't seem "normal" to me. Long story short, I discussed it with his ped. and had his blood tested. Turned out he was extremely anemic (the one value I remember, not sure what it was for now, but the normal range was 50+, his was 14, and all the #'s were that far off). We treated the anemia and he hasn't eaten sand since. I'd say follow your gut. If it seems like exploration/experimentation then I wouldn't worry too much. If it just doesn't sit right with you, it might be worth looking into further. Good luck!

[ledzepplon]

We had the dirt problem with ds. No obvious deficiencies, but I did start him on a multivitamin. He has had a giardia (parasite) infection, and I suspect his dirt-eating ways may have been the cause. So it's not necessarily harmless.

What about putting her in a pack and play while you're gardening? Or maybe getting a sandbox with a lid so you know she's at least not ingesting (ick) feces?

Sorry, this is a tough one!

[JennifaBest]

My daughter is a little over two and still eats dirt. I don't worry about it too much if we're in my yard. I know that I have "Clean" chemical-free dirt.

My son was the same way when he was small - mostly with sand at the beach. I think he liked the texture and saltiness.

I think it's more normal than we think. I don't think it is always a symptom of pica or other vitamin deficiency. In some cultures people eat clay and/or dirt. I was reading Jane Goodall's book Harvest for Hope. She talks about how chimpanzees eat clay. And in Mississippi 50 years ago it was really common to eat dirt/clay.

[foodmachine]

I really appreciate all the thoughts! It does seem like play rather than need. It's only with me (the garderner) and not DH, and she doesn't eat it straight from the ground or greenhouse, but first moves it to a bowl or pot and then eats it. We have chemical free dirt too, so it's just skat to worry about. Yuck! She seems happy enough with the greenhouse dirt and nobody's pooping in there. I am getting a sand box with a lid too, so that may keep her busy. I'll keep my eye on her though and see if it increases. I'll check around for some edible clay too.

[Norasmomma]

She'll get over it. Trust me my DD ate about 50lbs of sand the first summer at the beach, she had 50grit diapers to prove it. It's a phase and not one that needs GD.