Pica?

My 3 year old eats his books, newspaper, cardboard boxer, and paper towel rolls. I have to keep anything paper out of his reach or he will eat it is this pica? I am taking him to the dr tomorrow because he has a cough and maybe an ear infection so I'm gonna ask his dr I'm not sure how to break the habit.

Quoting Amandalea:" My 3 year old eats his books, newspaper, cardboard boxer, and paper towel rolls. I have to keep anything ... [snip!] ... the dr tomorrow because he has a cough and maybe an ear infection so I'm gonna ask his dr I'm not sure how to break the habit."

Could very possibly be.

Pica is when someone eats/craves something that isn't food... so yes. Some people think it is a response to an iron or other vitamin deficiency but it can still be present in people with no deficiencies whatsoever so there really are no clear answers. There really isn't a whole lot of treatment for it other than therapy and since he's so young I don't know if anyone would even think that route is necessary just yet. Three year old's can certainly just eat weird things (which would still be described as pica)... but the way you describe seems to be more than just a three year old sort of behavior so I definitely think talking to his doctor would be a good idea.

I used to eat paper and the threads from towels. One day I just stopped.