The consumption of ice as a symptom of iron deficiency
Speirs, J.; Jacobson, R.
South African Medical Journal 50(43): 1742
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 996662 Document Number: 104501
Ice-eating has been reported among Americans but as a sign of Fe deficiency among Africans it has had not much publicity. An African nurse admitted with severe Fe-deficiency anaemia mentioned that she had a craving for eating large amounts of ice. Another 4 nurses who liked ice were found to be deficient in Fe, though without clinical sign of anaemia; one had been taking Fe prescribed for her menorrhagia. A nursing assistant who ate ice developed the habit a few weeks after abortion with heavy loss of blood; she was not anaemic but had no stainable Fe in bone marrow. All those women ate 2 or 3 bowls of ice daily, more during pregnancy. Several mentioned a previous desire to eat soil, which from their nursing education they knew not to do.