Pica in children with tetralogy of Fallot: Report of two cases

Abstract

Cyanotic congenital heart disease is a high iron-requiring illness; therefore affected children may be prone to iron deficiency if not actively sorted and treated. Among problems associated with iron deficiency is pica; the consumption of non-food substances for non-nutritive purposes. Children with pica are at risk of other health hazards like lead toxicity, Intestinal obstruction and parasitic infections from the contaminated substances consumed; however, this is often a forgotten problem in children with cyanotic heart disease; therefore two cases of pica in children with tetralogy of Fallot are reported.

Keywords

• Cyanotic congenital heart disease
• iron deficiency
• pica
• tetralogy of Fallot