Emma Veness, a 26-year-old pregnant woman in the U.K., feels compelled to eat furniture polish even though she knows her eating disorder could harm her baby.
Veness has been diagnosed with a rare eating disorder named pica, and requires medical help according to reports.
Her bizarre habits started when she ate bubbles while taking baths as a child. Ever since her pregnancy she began eating polish and has already consumed three whole cans to ease her cravings.
Although she does not use addictive substances such as alcohol or tobacco, she does have a family history of her mother and grandmother having cravings for coal when pregnant.
Veness says that she wakes up in the middle of the night craving polish and cannot go back to bed without a taste of the substance.
She said “I just wish someone could help me stop, but no one seems to know how to help me or what to do. Most people have never even heard of Pica.”
By Christopher Kim
Intern Reporter
(chriskim1006@gmail.com)
임산부, 태아에 치명적 광택제 먹어야만 안심..
영국의 한 임산부가 가구용 광택제를 즐겨 먹는 희귀 식이 장애를 겪고 있다고 데일리 메일이 보도했다.
어려서부터 샤워중 비누 거품을 먹었던 그녀는 임신 후 광택제 캔을 세 개를 먹어야만 안심이 된다고 고백했다.
그녀는 음주와 흡연을 한 경험이 없지만 할머니와 어머니가 임신 중에 석탄을 즐겨 먹는 등 기이한 식습관은 집안 내력이라고 전했다.
엠마는 가끔 한 밤 중에 일어나 광택제를 찾고 이를 마시기 전까지는 절대로 잠자리에 못 든다고.
베네스도 자신의 특이한 식습관을 고쳐줄 사람을 사람을 찾고 있지만 이런 희귀 장애에 대해 사람들이 잘 몰라 치료하기 힘들다고 말했다.