Some pregnant women can develop a strong, even urgent desire forsomething tasty to eat. This craving is not at all like normal hunger. It couldbe for baked goods, sweets like chocolate, or even something with an acidictaste.

In Kenya, it is not uncommon to see pregnant women satisfying a craving byeating stones. The stones are known locally as Odowa. They come fromquarries and are traditionally sold at roadside stands.

A woman sells odowa stones at a roadside market in Nairobi, Kenya (R. Ombuor/VOA).

Although doctors advise against eating stones, many pregnant womencontinue to do so. Odowa are increasingly finding their way into Kenyan storesand markets.

Joyce Navtutu is a 29-year-old mother of two children. She says she could notresist a craving for odowa during both of her pregnancies. All of a sudden, she had a natural desire to eat the stones.

“While I was pregnant, especially this last pregnancy, there is a time I justwoke up and felt like ‘let me try this, when you pour some water on soil, orsomething like that, you feel there is a smell. So that smell is what I felt wassmelling nice, so I felt like eating. I started eating, eating, eating and then Icould not stop.”

The craving and eating of things other than food is common in Kenya amongpregnant women. Some women claimed they ate clay, dirt or sand while theywere pregnant.

Eating of the stones has spread to many towns. They are sold along the sidesof the roads, in small markets and even some shopping centers in cities.

Leah Adhiambo is a supplier of odowa. She supplies most of the stones tohigh-end stores. She says the custom has become increasingly popular andsupermarkets have now agreed to sell them.

Ms. Adhiambo says the demand is high among pregnant women of all agesand economic classes. She says she sells them in packages so they maylook interesting to women who cannot go looking for the stones in a traditionalmarket.

Leah Admiambo is quick to admit that odowa are selling and it is becoming aprofitable business.

“We stock the shelves almost every week, which means that the stones areselling.”

Experts say the craving to eat odowa results mainly from a lack of importantminerals, like calcium, in the body during pregnancy. This may be evidence of a serious medical condition.

Jane Mwangi is a doctor at the Miliki Afya health center in Nairobi. She sayspregnant women want odowa because the stones contain minerals.

“So most of the time they go to look for those minerals in the stones instead ofcoming to the hospitals to be given the supplements they need.”

Ms. Mwangi says the stones may cause infections or other health problems.

A study also suggests that eating stones during pregnancy can affectchildren’s health and their ability to learn. The African Council for the Giftedand Talented reported the findings.

So while the behavior may become more popular, doctors say the health risksare probably greater than the benefits.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Rael Ombuor reported on this story from Nairobi. Triwik Kurniasari adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

craving – n. very strong, intense desire for something

quarries– n. places where stones or other materials are dug out of theground

clay – n. a fine natural rock or soil material

high-end– adj. relating to products of the highest price

package(s)– n. containers, such as boxes or bags

stock– v. to have a supply

benefit(s)– n. the good effect