My three-year-old daughter has a rare eating disorder which means she eats glass and furniture, I bought a new sofa and she took chunks from it

By William On Mar 18, 2024

A helpless mother-of-two has revealed how her daughter suffers from a rare condition that sees her ‘eating the house’ – including the walls, sofa and glass.

Stacey A’Hearne, 25, from Blackwood, Wales, has to keep a constant eye on three-year-old Wynter to prevent her from chewing on potentially dangerous items in the house.

Her little one suffers from pica, an unusual eating disorder that triggers sufferers’ cravings for inedible household objects.

The little one has even been caught smashing a picture frame to try and eat shards of glass and even taking bits out of a brand new sofa.

“She literally eats the whole house,” Stacey said.

‘I bought a brand new sofa and she took pieces out of it. She is very picky with normal food, but she will sit down and have a sponge each.

Stacey A’Hearne, 25, from Blackwood, Wales, must constantly monitor three-year-old Wynter to prevent her from chewing on potentially dangerous objects in the house

Stacey bought a new couch and her daughter quickly took pieces out of it

Little Wynter eats foam, imagines that a piece of her highchair is missing

The little one also wakes up and nibbles on her bed

Stacey, a full-time caregiver for Wynter, first noticed her daughter’s unusual eating habits when she was a baby, but thought nothing of it when she reached the usual milestones.

But since Wynter’s cravings worsened and she became non-verbal, the mother of two has desperately begged for help – and is exhausted having to keep an eye on her 24/7.

Stacey caught Wynter, who also has autism, eating plaster off the walls, gnawing foam off the inside of the couch and the side of a high chair.

She even saw the toddler destroying photo frames and trying to eat the shards of glass.

And the little girl wakes up at night to chew on her crib and blanket she sleeps in.

The parent must be on ‘high alert’ due to the severity of Wynter’s condition and in the hope of helping other parents of children with pica.

‘She smashed about eight picture frames and tried to eat the glass.

“No matter what she finds, she finds a way to eat things she shouldn’t eat,” she said.

‘Luckily she never really hurt herself because I keep a close eye on her. But it’s a full-time job looking after her.”

Stacey first noticed Wynter putting things in her mouth as a baby and didn’t think it was anything serious.

Wynter, three, has developed an unusual eating disorder called pica

Stacey also has another child, pictured above is one-year-old Everly who does not share her sister’s unusual disorder

Wynter, 3, with her sister Everly

Wynter reached the usual milestones — like talking and walking — until he was about 13 months old, when things changed “overnight.”

She became non-verbal and her unusual eating habits began to escalate.

Stacey contacted her healthcare provider, who made a number of referrals to doctors who said her daughter had the eating disorder pica.

Stacey said: ‘Babies are always putting things in their mouths, but when she started doing it a lot I started to think it wasn’t normal.

‘Pica may be more common in children with autism, which Wynter also has. I think it’s a sensory thing, and she craves the different textures.

‘She has very severe autism, which means she doesn’t speak much and has a behavioral problem.’

What is Pica?

People suffering from Pica often crave and eat substances without nutrition, such as dirt, paint, ice, sand, glue and chalk.

The condition, which takes its name from the Latin word for magpie – a bird known for its large and indiscriminate appetite – affects up to 30 percent of children between the ages of one and six.

Although the condition sounds bizarre, it is actually classified as a serious eating disorder that can cause serious health problems such as lead poisoning and anemia.

However, in some cases, a deficiency of certain nutrients, such as an iron or zinc deficiency, can cause the unusual cravings.

Pica is most common in people with learning or developmental disabilities, such as autism, or in people who have suffered a brain injury.

It can also be a problem for some pregnant women or people with epilepsy.

In many cases the condition lasts for several months and then disappears on its own.

Otherwise, treatment may include replacing missing nutrients that cause the cravings, giving medications to deal with a learning disability, or giving rewards for eating normal foods.

Children also usually grow out of pica, for children with intellectual disabilities, removal of problematic items and supervision are both very important.

The main form of treatment for pica is therapy, with different therapy methods available depending on the situation and individual needs.

She has caught the toddler eating plaster from the walls, wool from the inside of her toys, plants and candle wax.

She said, “I put Wynter in the high chair with snacks, but she will choose to eat the high chair.

‘Her autism really affects her sleep, and she wakes up quite often. Her pica actually comes out to play at night.

‘She wakes up at 2am and I see her eating the crib and the blankets.

‘It’s tiring to keep an eye on her 24/7, but I’ve developed a good routine and I understand her needs.’

Stacey has found that providing “sensory playtime” has distracted Wynter from her pica cravings.

She is raising her two daughters with her partner, their father, Ryan, 30, who does not live with them.

The Welsh woman, pictured above with her one-year-old daughter Everly, is desperate for help even though doctors insist there is nothing she can do

Stacey A’Hearne, 25, has a three-year-old toddler named Wynter, who has developed an unusual eating disorder that causes her to try to eat inedible objects.

She said: ‘Children with autism like sensory things they can touch or hear.

‘I have a chew chain for her, specially designed for people with pica, that she can chew on with different textures.

‘She also eats things like pasta in different shapes that she can touch or play with.

‘The doctors said there’s not much we can do. It’s not good for her, but it’s not extremely dangerous, as long as it’s not glass.

“I just have to keep a very close eye on her and hopefully she’ll grow out of it eventually.”