Baby powder is an essential item in every baby care kit for avoiding rashes, and they make the baby smell good. Baby powder can be in the form of a spray or other forms of cosmetics. However, most mothers prefer using the finely ground form. However, I am amazed to know that a baby care product can take the form of an edible powder for some mothers and other individuals. That was the time when I really asked ‘can you eat baby powder?’.
There are some instances where people with the baby powder eating habit were disclosed. This lead to the exploration of many interesting facts. Eating baby powder is not a regular thing, and there are some reasons behind it.
However, baby powders are purely synthetic substances, and inhaling or ingesting them can pose serious issues. To educate our readers about these interesting issues, we have compiled this brief blog. Therefore, please scroll down to read more!
Can You Eat Baby Powder?
Brief Account of the Medical Ailment
Eating baby powders can inflict you with several undesirable consequences. That is the reason medical doctors strongly recommend you to apply baby powders with much care. Even if you end up inhaling the baby powders accidentally, it can result in serious medical issues e.g. granuloma or severe pneumonia. Therefore, there is a clear-cut answer for the question ‘can you eat baby powder?’ and that is no!
You cannot eat it no matter how much you want to satisfy your craving for it. There is another point here on which you should ponder. This craving for baby powder points towards a health issue that needs proper treatment. Thus you need to consult your physician in this regard.
Underlying Reasons for Eating Baby Powder
There are some cases reported in recent days about individuals who are addicted to consuming a heavier amount of baby powder. Can you believe some individuals are eating it every ten to fifteen minutes? Well, this obsession with baby powder cannot be accidental. Instead, it has some medical grounds. The two major causes explained by the medical sciences are that most women start craving baby powder during pregnancy. In the second scenario, there are people with learning disabilities.
These two causes are considered integral ones leading to an obsession with consuming baby powder. Medical research in this regard shows that both of these pregnant and mentally unstable people are unclear about the nutritional value of the food. That is why they cannot decide to eat healthy foods and eat synthesized products like baby powder.
Linkage of Eating Baby Powder with Pica
After seeing the word ‘Pica,’ you might be unclear and wondering about its meaning. Well, relax, sit back and keep reading because we are here with the explanation of the Pica. Pica is a medical disorder, and people eating baby powders develop this particular disorder. In this disorder, the patient has an extreme obsession with the baby powder and cannot live without it.
Pica is an eating disorder linked with the mental input in which a patient’s eating style and taste preferences change substantially. Just like baby powder addition, patients suffering from the special disorder Pica can be found eating weird and nutritionally lacking foods. In extreme cases, such patients can opt for eating very strange things which are otherwise unpalatable for ordinary individuals.
To be clearer, Pica patients are also found eating crumbs of dirt, stones and hard substances, mud, etc. When you talk to such patients, you will see them admiring the taste and aroma of the baby powder, fresh mud, soil, stones, and other weird things.
Pregnancy and Craving for Baby Powder
Apart from some men craving for talcum powder, the majority of the pregnant ladies are found as patients of the Pica. When a female conceives a baby, that phase constitutes the most important and unusual phase of her life. When she is undergoing drastic changes in her body, at the same time she is also facing some changes in her mental capacity.
The bigger mental change during pregnancy can lead to some mental instability. Due to this mental instability, there are fair chances of their taste changing and they start craving strange things like baby powder. Not just this, but pregnant ladies are vulnerable to several mental disorders like depression, etc.
Another interesting aspect regarding the relevance of the pregnancy with the Pica disorder is that younger pregnant mothers are at higher risk of the Pica compared to the aged ones. Young pregnant women fail at handling their mental health if they don’t receive good care and attention. Therefore, in a state of utter confusion, they can opt for eating nutritionally bad foods.
Stop Eating Baby Powder and Opt for these Substitutes!
Well, if you have also suffered or suffering from Pica disorder and you love to eat baby powder, then we have a package of recovery and health for you. Different alternatives are healthy and resemble baby powder, so on the one hand, they will satisfy your craving for baby powder. On the other hand, they won’t compromise your health and wellbeing. Rather they will be adding considerable nutritional value to your diet.
We share these alternatives with you to easily give up on the dangerous habit of eating baby powder. Just opt for the healthier substitution we are suggesting. They include:
Rice starch: Rice starch is found in the markets but it is a slightly rare item, so you need to search before purchasing it. Different cosmetic manufacturers use rice starch in face powders. The ground rice in the form of rice starch will act as a healthier alternative to baby powder
Corn starch: Well, there will be hardly anyone not knowing corn starch. This type of starch powder is readily available and is a favorite product used in several dishes. This is also a healthier option to end your Pica disorder of eating baby powder
Oat flour: Oat flour is another commonly available product made with ground oats. If oat flour is not available then you may take oats and grind them by yourself and start using them as an alternative to the baby powder you are eating
Baking soda: We strongly recommend you start using baking soda because it is a common kitchen item used in baking. Baking soda can be the best alternative to baby powder because it is cheap to purchase and healthier. However, you must not eat it in higher amounts. It should only serve to satisfy your craving, not fulfilling your whole belly
Tapioca starch: This starch is derived from the well-known plant Cassava. Many people love this pudding resembling starch due to its delicate texture and aroma. Tapioca starch has gained immense attention due to its potential to absorb different oils and other moisture types. We suggest you grab it if you find it to end your bad habit of eating baby powder
FAQs
Can you eat baby powder?
The simple answer to this question is no. You should not eat baby powder because it is made with synthesized potentially harmful chemicals to human health. That is the reason, doctors recommend you to properly wash the nose and mouth of your kid if they accidentally ingest or eat the baby powder. If you are suffering from Pica disorder, you need to try healthier alternatives to cure it. Also, you may consult the physician to help you out by prescribing another alternative.
Is there any risk of cancer in people eating baby powder?
Unfortunately, yes, because medical sciences have supported the answer with many cases. People eating baby powder are at a higher risk of developing severe respiratory illnesses and cancer. The reason is they are constantly exposed to their body’s natural mechanism to synthetic chemicals. That is why different people diagnosed with Pica disorder are reported to have developed lung cancer in the later stages. This is attributable to the asbestos in the baby powder negatively affecting the lungs.
What is Pica among the patients eating baby powder?
Pica is the name of an eating disorder in which the patient is mentally unclear about the nutritional value of the things they eat. That is why they end up consuming weird things. In this disorder, the patients eat different stuff like baby powder, chalk, dirt, mud, charcoal, sand, clay, ice, paint chips, paper, etc. Such patients have a deficiency of some important macro or micronutrients, as indicated by research published in the Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry.
Final Words
We hope after reading about the facts and details, you must have got the answer to your question ‘can you eat baby powder?’. The good news is that Pica disorder of eating baby powder is not some medical ailment that has been permanently inflicted upon you. Rather, you have the power to end up this unhealthy habit of possessiveness by eating baby powder.
We have also shared some important alternatives with you and we strongly suggest you pick them as your treatment of Pica. We assure you, through constant efforts, you can succeed in ending up this harmful habit. With this, we will end this blog here. We would love to read your stories, suggestions, and thoughts regarding baby powder eating disorders. Therefore, don’t forget to pour them into the comment box. Thank you!