Ingestion of a mouthful of excrement (particularly if ingested by a youngster) is not considered harmful. However, it can occasionally induce symptoms comparable to food poisoning. Feces from animals infected with specific germs or viruses can cause severe sickness. This is unusual. Most children who eat poop do not become ill. In fact, eating poop is common in certain countries where sanitation is poor. In these countries, babies and young children often eat feces because there is no other way to obtain clean water for cooking and drinking. This is called "coprophagy" and some studies show that up to one in five children eat feces sometimes or always. Coprophagy is most common among infants between 0 and 12 months old. Even though feces contain bacteria that can make you sick, the virus content in feces is not enough to cause illness. Some studies have shown that coprophagic children are at greater risk of developing diarrhea, especially when they sleep in dirty conditions. However, other studies have failed to find any connection between coprophagy and diarrhea. More research is needed on this subject. It is not recommended that children under three years old eat poop because they may not realize what they are doing and could end up ingesting bacteria that can cause diarrhea or infection. Also, some kids may choose to eat poop as a habit or because they think it will make them grow bigger.