The 3-year-old little girl is literally eating the house she lives in… She is gnawing the windows, sofa and walls

The mother of a 3-year-old girl asks for help in the rare situation of her daughter ‘wanting to eat the house’. Mum Stacey A’Hearne, 25, constantly monitors three-year-old Wynter to stop him eating potentially dangerous things.

Following these attitudes of the 3-year-old little girl, she was diagnosed with autism and it was understood that she suffered from the unusual eating disorder pica, which causes cravings for inedible objects.

Stacey caught Wynter eating the plaster off the walls, the couch foam, and gnawing on the side of the high chair.

The mother, who watched with concern as her daughter broke photo frames and tried to eat glass pieces, said that her daughter even started waking up at night to chew the cot and blanket on which she slept.

Wynter, a mother of two, has to be on constant alert due to the seriousness of her condition. Wynter’s mother Stacey, who also looks after him full-time, said: “He literally eats up the whole house. I bought a brand new sofa and he ripped pieces off it and ate it.”

“He’s really fussy about normal food, but he just sits around and eats sponges. He smashed about eight photo frames and tried to eat the glass. No matter what, he finds a way to eat things he shouldn’t. Luckily, because I kept a very close eye on him, he never really hurt himself. But Watching it is a full-time job.”

Stacey first noticed Wynter putting things in his mouth when she was a baby and didn’t think it was anything serious.

“Pica may be more common in children with autism, which Wynter has. I think it’s a sensory thing and he craves different textures. He has very severe autism, which means he doesn’t talk much and has some behavioral problems.”Wynter, until he was about 13 months old He was experiencing normal developments such as speaking and walking until he was 15 years old, but things changed ‘overnight’. Suddenly, she stopped talking and her unusual eating habits began to increase, which led Stacey to doctors.

In January 2024, after further testing and a diagnosis of pica, Wynter was also diagnosed with autism. Stacey said: “Babies put things in their mouths all the time, but when he did it a lot I started to think it wasn’t normal.”

“Pica may be more common in children with autism, which Wynter has. I think it’s a sensory thing and he craves different textures. He has very severe autism, which means he doesn’t talk much and has some behavioral problems.”

Explaining her experience, the mother said, “I put Wynter in his high chair with snacks, but he chose to eat the high chair. His autism really affects his sleep and he wakes up frequently.”

“Pica occurs more intensely at night. He wakes up at 2 a.m. and I find him eating the cot and blankets. Watching him 24/7 is exhausting, but I’ve gotten into a good routine and understand his needs.”

Stacey found that providing ‘sensory playtime’ helped Wynter distract from his pica cravings. She added: “Kids with autism love sensory things they can touch or make sounds for. So I have a chewable necklace for him that he can chew on with different textures, specially designed for people with pica.”

“There are also options where he can eat, touch or play with things like different shaped pasta. The doctors said there’s not much we can do. It’s not good for him, but it’s not too dangerous, as long as it’s glass food. I just need to keep a really close eye on him and hopefully eventually.” “He’ll eventually get out of this situation.”