DD eating SAND from SANDPIT. Coming out in her poo. DANGEROUS????

[drosophila]

While changing her nappy today it ws clear that she had eaten sand from the sandpit at nursery yesterday. Not sure how much but enough for it to be in her poo.

SHe is one of those kids.

Anything to worry about????

my ds used to do this, as did both my brothers and probably me too!

as long as it's 'clean' sand, no chance of it having been soiled by cats, then i don't worry

that might be wrong tho

not really - sandpits can be at risk from having cats wee in them but presumably not at the nursery. Otherwise eating sand isn't to be encouraged but is pretty safe I think. I speak as a parent whose youngest was recently discovered ( by me ) to be sucking a stone covered on dried bird's poo - yum!!

Crumbs I hope not, ds1 was munching it at the beach yesterday. You'd think he'd only try tasting it once...

I think the nursery keep it indoors at night but not sure. She seems fine. The whole supervision thing is anohter issue. I fear it may have been quite a lot to be coming out in her poo.

Mine tries to do this every time we go to toddlers and yes, we have had the sandy poos. As far as I know, it doesn't hurt them (if it's clean) but it's not actually nutritious! Maybe get the nursery to keep an eye on her?

i wouldn't worry about the supervision thing tbh, eating sand is sooo common, and i don't think it would have had to be loads, what goes in must come out, it's not like her body could have used it in any way

I don't know why I worry about htings like this. I grew up on a farm and got up to a lot worse. I guess that is why I worry I know what kids will do when not supervised.

i am a firm believer in everything they are exposed to improving immunity, and getting mucky/eating worms is what childhood should be about

probably good (though not soluble_ source of fibre

I used to be a sucker for eating sand (pencils, pemns, paper, stones, twigs, grass....) right into my secondary school (its called Pica, I believe?) and it never did me any harm (said in a strict upper ctrusta ccent).

I wouldn't worry unless there are obvious side effects, As for the supervision... once the kids gone face down, there's not a lot they can do.

Actually, sis manages a Nursery and one of the charges Dad's an immunologist- says kids are actually programmed to eat sand, dirt etc- as the other post said it buildds up their immunity.

so does that mean it's not just my excuse for an easy life, it's actually true peachy?

Ohhh, so that might explain why, after him eating handfuls of sand yesterday, I then had to fish bits of wax crayon out of ds1's mouth today

My Ds spent all last summer and year before sitting in our sandpit eating the sand[it is covered when nobody is in it] also had sandy poos but never did him any harm!!

Ellie I tink so LOL! Isn't there research (may be wrong) that sufffest kids in the erm, not cleanest homes (ofh that would be mine then) are less likely to get Asthama? Likewise kids who come into contact with pets? Its only anecdotal but ds1's supposed asthma vanished quickly (I'm a dirty so and so ) whilst MIL, OCD, the son who lives with her has very severe asthma. Similar genes though surely, and ds1 prone as he is Lactose intol / eczma (same gene)

i still have pica peachyclair, since being pregnant. it has not gone away yet!

Ah pg was when mine ended- sympathies! (couldn't eat anything much for months, so I guess whatever caused it- links were broken in my brain)

what did you eat?

Literally a ything- I can remember gnawing on the table at Junior school and used to eat small stones outside in the playground each day. I went on to have an eating disorder and have probable AS, and I know that Pica and AS are related in kids.

In pg I ahd hyperemesis so I tink that put paid. It put paid to anything for a bit, bar a drip.

My DD did this. I think she liked the texture in her mouth. It never did her any harm

Thanks guys. I'm not so sure about the living in too clean a house research. I lived in probably one of the dirtiest environments ever and was always sick.

My Dad insisted that he could sit at the table with hands that had just been helping a sheep deliver, not wash them and then eat his dinner. My poor mother was driven to distraction. My Dad was severely ill a few times but to be fair probably stress related -ulcerative colitis. He would also eat meat that had been left out of the fridge that my mother intended for the dogs and would have had flies roaming over it.

Several animals were found sharing our living quarters especially during the winter months.

So why on earth was I worried about DD eating sand. I have lived in a city too long.