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Q.

can eating chalk harm my baby or stop me from becoming pregnant?

I have been craving chalk for a long time. I did give into the craving and liked the taste.I have recently stopped and now I am craving it again but now I am trying to get pregnant if I am not already. Please let me know if this is harmful to me let alone harmful to my child.

Related Topics: Pregnancy, Taste, Baby, Craving
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Answers From Experts & Organizations (1)

Rod Moser, PA, PhDRod Moser, PA, PhDSUCCESS!
Rod Moser, PA, PhD
Primary Care
1,599 Answers
8,469 Helpful Votes
146 Followers
A.
Abnormal cravings are not unusual in pregnancy, but a craving for chalk could mean that you have a condition called PICA; a condition where people want to eat things not usually a part of a human diet. This may include plaster, clay, dirt, or other substances.
Chalk is primarily calcium and may not be harmful per se, but we really don't know for sure, or that this would be safe in pregnancy. For some reason, pregnant women do not want to be a part of any study that could cause possible harm to their unborn child, so the data is nil on this practice.

It would be best not to eat chalk if you are pregnant, or trying to get pregnant. While it may be hard to prove harm, it is really not worth the risk to you and your baby to just try it.

Here is one of several interesting articles on the subject:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=osteoporosis-calcium-taste-chalk

This answer should not be considered medical advice...down arrowThis answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.up arrow

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