5 year old boy who eats hair!

I have a 5 year old boy who constantly is putting hair into his mouth and swallowing it.  My daughter and I both have long hair and he will find them a put them in his mouth and swallow them.  He has done this for as long as I can remember.  How can I stop him from doing this and can it cause him harm?  I have never heard of another child who does this, is there a name for it?  Thank you.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Nicole,

The ingestion of non-nutritive substances is called pica, and ingestion of hair is one example of this.

Is your son basically a healthy, happy youngster? Do you have any other worries about him? If not, you probably don't have to worry, but I'd discuss this with his pediatrician, particularly to rule out any deficiency in nutrition that sometimes prompts pica.

In terms of management, simply tell him to stop this behavior, and use brief time out periods in a chair when it does occur.

[Jeb Hack]

HOWDY!!