The Role of Eating Disorders for Pregnancy

Little is known about the impact of eating disorders (ED) on pregnancy, infant growth and cognitive development. Preliminary reports indicate increased complications during pregnancy and lower birth weight in children of mothers with ED. There is need of prospective long-term follow-up of growth and cognitive development of the children of these mothers. Aims: To study the impact of ED on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, maternal adjustment, and infant growth and cognitive development compared with controls. Method: Forty-nine nulliparous, nonsmoking women with a history of ED, 24 with anorexia nervosa (AN), 20 with bulimia nervosa (BN), 5 with non-specific ED (EDNOS), and 68 healthy controls were followed during pregnancy and up to three months postpartum. The women were recruited in early pregnancy from 13 antenatal clinics in northwestern Stockholm. Three months after delivery, the women completed the maternal adjustment and maternal attitude questionnaire (MAMA) and were asked about mental health problems postpartum.