Anecdotal evidence suggests that some persons on routine renal dialysis crave kaolin and will ingest it even while being dialyzed. Clay-eating by men or non-African Americans is unusual, though cases have been reported. The ingestion of white clay occurs predominantly among African American women who have been introduced to eating clay by family members or friends, either as children or during pregnancy. Patients and health care providers may not even consider this behavior abnormal, given the acceptance of women’s cravings during pregnancy. Published accounts report that it is not unusual for pregnant women in rural Georgia and elsewhere to engage in some type of pica. Surprisingly, it is sometimes available at stores, where it is packaged like fresh produce and often labeled, “Down Home Georgia White Dirt. They usually acquire the clay from friends, neighbors, or family members or dig it directly from the earth. When asked why they eat chalk, many persons respond that they like the taste or that they crave it. In addition, Georgia Health Sciences University faculty and practicing community physicians in the Augusta area report having heard of clay-eating or have encountered chalk-eating patients. Case studies suggest that physicians practicing in the central Piedmont area of Georgia routinely encounter patients who eat chalk. There is, in fact, little published research on geophagia, particularly the ingestion of kaolin. Geophagia (earth eating) has been observed and documented in many areas of the world, but a specific preference for kaolin is less well known.
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