Is pica an addiction? Clay use in pregnancies in French Guiana

The consumption of clay or geophagia is described worldwide as a particular behaviour of pregnant women under certain conditions, or even specific to certain subpopulations. Explanations for this behaviour have varied over time. First described as a pregnancy craving for all kinds of products not usually ingested, it was then designated as pica, then grouped with other eating disorders. In any case, the definition describes an irrepressible desire to consume certain substances, with in some cases the need to increase quantities. This definition and the globalisation of behavioural addictions and substances bring it into this field. We aim here to examine the nature of clay ingestion through a historical review and then by means of our field data on the representations and/or interpretations of caregivers and women concerned about these practices, using the example of French Guiana.