‘Beaver’ toddler who eats gravel and grass needs a special cot

‘Beaver’ toddler who eats doormats, gravel and grass needs a special cot after gnawing her way through her wooden one as her parents say she even puts her CAT’S TAIL in her mouth

• Ruby Smith’s parents are fundraising for a cot made of teething-safe plastic
• The three-year-old, who lives in Bedford, suffers from pica, an eating disorder
• Her mother has been forced to remove household items from their living room  

A toddler who eats doormats and gravel because of a eating disorder needs a new cot – after she gnawed on her wooden one.

Ruby Smith’s parents are fundraising for a cot made of teething-safe plastic so she won’t be able to eat her way through it. 

The three-year-old, of Bedford, suffers from pica, an eating disorder characterised by the desire to eat items with little or no nutritional value.

Her mother, Claire Parsons, has been forced to remove household items, including books and DVDs, from their living room in fear that she will eat them. 

And Ruby is also banned from venturing into the garden and kitchen on her own, after previously eating grass and cat food.

Ruby Smith’s parents are fundraising for a cot made of teething-safe plastic so she won’t be able to eat her way through it. Her parents have released a picture of Ruby with the family cat’s tail in her mouth. However, they say she has never actually tried to eat the cat, called Steve

The three-year-old, of Bedford, suffers from pica, an eating disorder characterised by the desire to eat items with little or no nutritional value

Her mother, Claire Parsons, has been forced to remove household items, including books and DVDs, from their living room in fear that she will eat them

Ms Parsons said: ‘The wooden bar [of her cot] has been chewed down over a few months. I have to be careful what I cover it with so she can’t chew that either’ (the cot is pictured)

Ms Parsons, who is a full-time carer for Ruby, added: ‘We can’t let her into the kitchen because there’s cat food and she’ll eat it’

She almost choked to death when she bit a chunk out of a doormat and father Sam Smith had to save her life.

Her parents have released a picture of Ruby with the family cat’s tail in her mouth. However, they say she has never actually tried to eat the cat, called Steve.

Ms Parsons, 44, said: ‘She’s always got something in her mouth. She’s like a little beaver. If she can get her hands on it she will eat it.

‘The wooden bar [of her cot] has been chewed down over a few months. I have to be careful what I cover it with so she can’t chew that either.

‘There’s nothing in our living room for her to get hold of – no books, no DVDs, nothing that she could rip up and chew.

‘We can’t let her out in the garden because she would eat it. She’d eat the gravel and the grass. She enjoys the trampoline but we can’t let her have free rein.’

Ms Parsons, who is a full-time carer for Ruby, added: ‘We can’t let her into the kitchen because there’s cat food and she’ll eat it.

‘It can be very dangerous. Children with her condition are prone to choking due to the paralysis and low muscle tone.

Ruby is also banned from venturing into the garden and kitchen on her own, after previously eating grass and cat food 

Doctors believe Ruby’s pica was caused by her hemiplegia of childhood – a rare neurological condition that has left her with epilepsy and cerebral palsy (pictured with her mother)

She began suffering seizures when she was just five days old, and would be rushed to hospital up to four times a week 

Ruby is pictured in hospital as a baby. It is thought she is pictured after suffering a seizure

Ms Parsons, who added that Ruby’s teeth are ‘lovely’ for now, said: ‘She turns four next week but her mental age is around 10 months’ (pictured together)

WHAT IS PICA? 

Pica is an eating disorder that is characterised by the desire to eat items with little or no nutritional value.

These can include anything from stones, sand, paint and dirt to talcum powder.

It is most common in people with learning disabilities and during pregnancy.

It can cause a range of serious complications if the person is eating something that is poisonous or indigestible.

These include being poisoned by toxic ingredients and having a part of the body obstructed (which is often seen in people who eat hair).

It can also lead to excessive calorie intake, but also nutritional deprivation if the person eats a substance with no nutritional value instead of nutritious foods.

The person can also damage their teeth and be infected with parasites.

‘Paper is one of her favourite – like on video games cases. So we don’t keep those anymore or CD cases. She has tried to eat grass and gravel in the past.’

Doctors believe Ruby’s pica was caused by her hemiplegia of childhood – a rare neurological condition that has left her with epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

Recalling the moment Ruby choked, Ms Parsons said: ‘We had one of the furry doormats… she took a big chunk out of it. 

‘Her dad saved her life – I was about to ring an ambulance.’ Ruby was around 18 months old when the incident occurred. 

Pica is also listed as a common symptom of AHC, which she was diagnosed with in 2016 after repeated visits to Bedford Hospital for genetic testing.

She began suffering seizures when she was just five days old, and would be rushed to hospital up to four times a week.

Ms Parsons said: ‘We thought she was just poorly and had picked something up.

‘Now she has absent seizures every day, but we have to call an ambulance out two or three times a month. She’ll be bluelighted in.

Ruby is pictured with her brothers Jack, 10, Liam, eight, and Tyler, 13

Ruby’s crowdfunding page has so far raised around £200 since it was launched earlier this month (pictured with Liam and Jack)

However, the specialist cot, to be crafted by Anderson’s Themes and Dreams, will cost in the region of £1,500 (pictured hooked up to an oxygen tank because of breathing difficulties)

Ms Parsons said: ‘Ruby doesn’t just need a hospital bed. To keep her safe we need something specially built for her that she cannot eat’ (pictured with Liam when they were younger)

Pica is an eating disorder that is characterised by the desire to eat items with little or no nutritional value. These can include anything from stones, sand, paint and dirt to talcum powder (pictured with her mother)

Ruby is pictured in hospital during a recent admission for a seizure

‘She can be playing and become paralysed all of a sudden. She has uncontrolled epilepsy and is always chewing because she’s got pica.’

Ms Parsons, who added that Ruby’s teeth are ‘lovely’ for now, said: ‘She turns four next week but her mental age is around 10 months.

‘Some of it is sensory. When you’re a baby you chew things, lick them, it’s just a phase – but she’s still doing it.’  

Ruby’s crowdfunding page has so far raised around £200 since it was launched earlier this month.

However, the specialist cot, to be crafted by Anderson’s Themes and Dreams, will cost in the region of £1,500.

Ms Parsons said: ‘Ruby doesn’t just need a hospital bed. To keep her safe we need something specially built for her that she cannot eat. 

‘Because it’s a special needs requirement it’s more expensive and we need to fund that ourselves.’

‘I’ve told them [AT&D] specifically what we need and they can fit teething plastic on the bars.

‘It’s made of wood but they put a clear softened plastic on there to stop her chewing it – all bars, all top rails.

‘This bed will be a safe space for her. It’s just part of who she is. We need to keep her safe from choking because that’s what’s most important.’

Anyone wanting to donate can do so here.   

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