Anybody else's kids like to eat ice chips?

[Pster]

I know someone might bring up it's bad for your teeth - but...that aside - who else has a child that likes ...no make it loves to chew/ suck on crushed ice?

My dd4 loves the stuff and prefers it to drinking water. She isn't doing it all the time but - still - her love for "little ice" as she calls it is evident!

Just a another "quirk" in her personality? :rolleyes:hmmmmm

[KristineIN]

I've heard that eating ice is a sign of iron deficiency.
We don't allow eating just plain ice here. They can drink a glass of water. I'll sometimes crush ice in the summer for snow cones, but that's about all.
Kristine

[Pster]

I heard of that for adults - you think it is the same for kids? I wonder....

[Jennifer in MI]

My kids do this. Their iron levels are fine. I just consider it a quirk and allow it. I do ask that they use the crushed ice and not the full pieces though!

[Cadam]

Ds loves chewing ice. I have never heard of the iron thing but it wouldn't surprise me since his bio mother does not require him to eat anything green or healthy.

[dirty ethel rackham]

My friend had a son (then 7) who did this. When I told her this, she didn't believe me, but she had him tested. Sure enough, he was deficient. When she addressed it, his desire to chew ice subsided.

It can be bad for the teeth if one has soft teeth. I like to suck on ice (and chew it if is too big), but I am not iron deficient. Fortunately, I have strong teeth.

[AmyinPA]

Well they do and they get it from me. Every pregnancy I'm low on iron and just chew and chew and chew on crushed ice. This even with lots of iron supplements.

[Melissa B]

Well they do and they get it from me. Every pregnancy I'm low on iron and just chew and chew and chew on crushed ice. This even with lots of iron supplements.


Same here. I eat crushed ice almost constantly during pregnancies. And that is after taking two daily iron supplements along with prenatal vitamins.
I cannot keep my iron levels up during pregnancy. Otherwise, I am borderline and do fine if I remember to take a daily vitamin. I would be tempted to have the child's iron level checked, just in case. :)

[DIY-DY]

Well they do and they get it from me. Every pregnancy I'm low on iron and just chew and chew and chew on crushed ice. This even with lots of iron supplements.

This is my little piece of heaven while I'm pregnant. And when I found out Sonic sells their ice in 5# bags, oh, life got very good, indeed. (As a matter of fact, we'll be hitting Sonic after the library today b/c my bag is out.)

Two of the four kids have picked up on it. Crushed only. Dentist said crushed is, eh, okay. Not his preference, but better than whole ice cubes. So I try to keep my dirty little secret away from the kids. :o

[Mary H]

I had been eating ice since I was pregent with my ds (24). I finally had to have iron shots because my iron was so low. After three shots, my craving for ice stoped. I have lost several teeth and chipped several teeth because of craving ice. Please get her tested!!

JMHO

Mary H

[Karin]

If the iron level is fine, it could just be a quirk. My kids have great iron levels and love to do it, but we don't keep ice at home so they can only do it when they're out. I'd need hard evidence about it being bad for their teeth before I'd put my foot down, because they already are on a restricted diet...

[KristineIN]

If the iron level is fine, it could just be a quirk. My kids have great iron levels and love to do it, but we don't keep ice at home so they can only do it when they're out. I'd need hard evidence about it being bad for their teeth before I'd put my foot down, because they already are on a restricted diet...


This is from the American Dental Association: Chew on this: crunching ice can be bad for your teeth (http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/Information/ADA/Article_2006_07_ChewOnThis.cvsp)

[Excelsior! Academy]

Just keep a lot of popcicles around and do not let them chew on big pieces of ice. It can crack teeth. I know. :rolleyes: After my last pregnancy I got to have lots of fun dental work.:eek:

[Peek a Boo]

well, that's a nice little article, but it's not quite "hard evidence" :-)

here's an interesting article:
http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/saveteeth.htm

other articles mention it is just as bad to chew on hard foods like popcorn kernels and lollipops too. Haven't found any "hard evidence" though.... I would still advise to NOT chew on ice. I buy my kiddo gum to help keep it at bay. I also second the getting them tested for iron.

good luck!

[Karin]

Thanks for the hard evidence! I brought this up with my kids. Turns out my 12 yo chews them only when they're thin and starting to break, my 9 yo only sucks the ice, but my ds 7 chews it. Since we eat at restaurants 2 or 3 times a year, it hasn't been a large risk, but I'm putting a stop to it now. I never chew ice as my teeth have always been too sensitive to the cold.