A helpless mother-of-two has revealed her daughter suffers from a rare condition which sees her “eating the house”, including the walls, sofa and window panes.
Stacey A’Hearne, 25, from Blackwood, Wales, has to constantly monitor three-year-old Wynter to stop her from nibbling on potentially dangerous objects in the house.
Her little one suffers from pica, an unusual eating disorder that causes cravings for inedible household items.
The little one was even caught smashing a picture frame to try to eat shards of glass and even took pieces out of a brand new sofa.
“She literally eats the whole house,” Stacey said.
“I bought a brand new sofa and she took pieces out of it. She is really picky with normal food but she will sit and each one a sponge.
Stacey A’Hearne, 25, from Blackwood, Wales, has to constantly monitor three-year-old Wynter to stop her from nibbling on potentially dangerous objects in the house.
Stacey bought a new sofa and her daughter quickly took pieces out of it
Little Wynter is going to eat foam, in the photo a piece of her high chair is missing
The little one wakes up too and nibbles on her bed
Stacey, who is Wynter’s full-time caregiver, first noticed her daughter’s unusual eating habits when she was a baby, but didn’t pay attention to them when she hit the usual milestones.
But since Wynter’s cravings got worse and she became nonverbal, the mother of two has made a desperate plea for help — and is exhausted from watching her 24/7.
Stacey caught Wynter, who is also autistic, eating plaster off the walls, moss from the inside of the couch and gnawing on the side of a high chair.
She even saw the little child break photo frames and try to eat the shards of glass.
And the little girl started waking up at night to chew her crib and the blanket she sleeps in.
The parent should be on “high alert” due to the severity of Wynter’s condition and hope to help other parents of children with pica.
“She smashed about eight picture frames and tried to eat the glass.
“No matter what she does, she finds a way to eat things she shouldn’t,” she said.
“Luckily she’s never really gotten hurt because I watch her very closely. But it’s a full-time job watching her.
Stacey first noticed Wynter putting things in her mouth when she was a baby and didn’t think it was serious.
Three-year-old Wynter developed an unusual eating disorder called pica
Stacey also has another child, pictured above is one-year-old Everly, who does not share her sister’s unusual disorder.
Wynter, 3, with his little sister Everly
Wynter hit the usual milestones – like talking and walking – until around 13 months old, when things changed “overnight”.
She became nonverbal and her unusual eating habits began to intensify.
Stacey contacted her health care visitor who referred her to doctors who told her her daughter was suffering from the eating disorder pica.
Stacey said: “Babies always put things in their mouths, but when she did it a lot I started to think it wasn’t normal.
“Pica may be more common in children with autism – which Wynter also has.” I think it’s a sensory thing, and she craves different textures.
“She has very severe autism, which means she doesn’t speak much and has behavioral problems.”
She caught the child eating plaster from the walls, wool from inside her toys, plants and candle wax.
She said: “I put Wynter in the high chair with snacks, but she will choose to eat the high chair.
“Her autism really affects her sleep and she wakes up a lot. His pica really comes out to play at night.
“She wakes up at 2 a.m. and I found her eating the bed and the blankets.
“It’s exhausting having eyes on her 24/7, but I’ve gotten into a good routine and understand her needs.”
Stacey found that providing “sensory play time” helped distract Wynter from his pica cravings.
She raises her two daughters with her partner, their father, Ryan, 30, who does not live with them.
The Welsh woman, pictured above with her one-year-old daughter Everly, is desperate for help, even though doctors insist there is nothing she can do.
Stacey A’Hearne, 25, has a three-year-old called Wynter, who has developed an unusual eating disorder which causes her to attempt to eat an inedible object.
She said: “Autistic children like sensory things they can touch or hear.
“I have a chew collar for her specially designed for people with pica, which she can chew with different textures.
“Plus, things like different shaped pasta are something she will eat – something she can touch or play with.”
“The doctors said there wasn’t much we could do. It’s not good for her but it’s not extremely dangerous, provided it’s not glass.
“I just have to watch her very closely and hope she comes out of this eventually.”