330 Feeding and Eating Disorders
Coding note:  The ICD-9-CM code for pica is 307.52 and is used for children or adults.
The ICD-10-CM codes for pica are (F98.3)  in children and (F50.8)  in adults.
Specify if:
In remission:  After full criteria for pica were previously met, the criteria have not been
met for a sustained period of time.
Diagnostic Features
The essential feature of pica is the eating of on e or more nonnutritive, nonfood substances on a
persistent basis over a period of at least 1 month (Criterion A) that is severe enough to warrant
clinical attention. Typical substances ingested te nd to vary with age and availability and might
include paper, soap, cloth, hair , string, wool, soil, chalk, talc um powder, paint, gum, metal,
pebbles, charcoal or coal, ash, clay, starch, or ice. The term nonfood  is included because the di-
agnosis of pica does not apply to ingestion of diet products that have minimal nutritional con-
tent. There is typically no aversion to food in general. The eating of nonnutritive, nonfood
substances must be developmentally inappropriate (Criterion B)  and not part of a culturally
supported or socially normativ e practice (Criterion C). A minimum age of 2 years is suggested
for a pica diagnosis to exclude developmentally normal mouthing of objects by infants that re-
sults in ingestion. The eating of nonnutritive, nonfood substances can be an associated feature
of other mental disorders (e.g., intellectual disability [intellectual developmental disorder],
autism spectrum disorder, schizo phrenia). If the eating behavior occurs exclusively in the con-