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Author Notes:
Elizabeth Patberg, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, 333 City Blvd West, Ste 1400, Orange, CA 92868 (e-mail: epatber@emory.edu).
Conflict of Interest: None.
Subjects:
Keywords:
- pica
- pregnancy
- talcum
- toxicosis
Talcum Powder Toxicosis in Pregnancy
Abstract:
Background: Pica is a relatively common phenomenon in pregnancy and typically includes consumption of nontoxic substances such as earth/clay, raw starches, and ice. Occasionally, substances may be toxic or have unintended consequences. Case: A nulliparous woman presented to our facility complaining of numerous, vague symptoms that are common in pregnancy. She had multiple work-ups and an admission to our antepartum unit without clear etiology of her symptoms. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with talcum powder toxicosis secondary to talc ingestion as a coping mechanism for her anxiety, which was heightened in pregnancy. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of screening for mental health disorders, which may be exacerbated during the peripartum period. Patients' coping mechanisms for mental health disorders may have unintended consequences.
Copyright information:
© 2018 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
This is an Open Access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
