Pregnant women craving soil suffer from low ironBooi is among the many South African women who develop a strange need to eat soil during pregnancy. After the birth, doctors ran some tests and they realised that I had low iron levels and would require a blood transfusion.”Her doctor spoke to her in order to establish why her iron levels were so low. “After revealing that I had been eating soil, the doctor said it might have had an impact on my iron levels but could not conclude that it was entirely the cause.”Insufficient nutrientsThe craving for soil by pregnant women is a symptom of a severe lack of iron. Some of the side effects of eating soil include constipation and faecal impaction. Women craving soil during their pregnancies are therefore advised to have their iron levels checked in order for them to be monitored and treated if necessary.