DD eats soap?

[MamaSnoo]

DD (2 yo) has started eating soap. At bathtime, she used to ask for a little soap to help with washing herself. She would put the CAbaby in her hair or try to wash her bottom. Too cute.

Lately, she asks for the soap, gives me the evil grin, and licks it off her hand! I have not been too worried about it, it has not given her diarrhea (to my surprise)....but, is there something I should be concerned about? It tastes terrible. Why do you think she is doing it?

So far it is just the CAbaby, and some Dove sensitive bar soap that my mom left in the shower. After she eats it, she says "Does nana eat soap? No! Papa eat soap? No! Mama eat soap? No! Daddy eat soap? No! DD eat soap? Ya!"

WTH?

[Indianamom2]

Hmmm, tough to say because it could be a phase, but it might not hurt to mention it to the pedi because there is a condition called Pica (http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/pica.html)that compells people of all ages to eat very strange things because they lack enough of certain minerals/vitamins.

I think if it has been happening for a while or persists, it's worth a trip to the pedi just to be safe.

[MamaSnoo]

Yeah-- I never thought of it as pica because she makes no special effort to get soap to eat and does not any other unusual things. She just tastes the soap when we are doing her bath. The soap is out on the edge of the tub, so she could get it at other times if she was really wanting to eat it, but she never does go looking for it.

I think I am going to stop letting her have any of it, since now she eats it pretty much every time I give her any during bath (it used to be just occasional), and see what she does.

[LMPC]

Sounds less like pica and more like a I-can-do-this-and-get-a-reaction type thing. What do you typically do when she eats/licks the soap? If it's kind of a "ewe gross" reaction, then maybe instead just a straight faced "we don't eat soap" reaction and then take the soap away. Might just do the trick...sounds like a 2 yo phase to me.

[c&j04]

Mom says I nibbled on soap bars in the grocery cart every chance I had for quite a long time and I *think* I'm okay today:D

[catsnkid]

Sort of sounds like a pica thing, but also she may be looking for a reaction.. DS likes taking baby wipes out of the box and putting them in his mouth during diaper changes. He is 15 months and this has been going on for a few months. Brand does not seem to matter.. Weird.