A new study found that pregnant women with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa are five times more likely to give birth to underweight babies on average.
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Research Details on Pregnant Women with Anorexia Nervosa
According to the research presented at the 38th Annual Meeting of ESHRE, mothers without anorexia have a lower risk of premature birth and placental abruption. The results show a significantly increased risk of 298% of premature birth in women who have anorexia. For the placental abruption, the study showed a more than doubled likelihood at 341%.
Ido Feferkorn MD from McGill University, Montreal, Canada described the findings when the researchers compared the outcomes of the small-for-gestational-age (SGA) newborns between an anorexic and non-anorexic mother. Feferkorn said that the SGA of an anorexic mother is "shockingly higher" than that of a healthy mother.
SGA is a term to describe a baby that is smaller than average for the number of weeks of pregnancy. The birth weights of the infants typically fall below the 10th percentile for infants of the same gestational age. Compared with many other babies of the same gestational age, they are smaller.
"Many fertility specialists are faced with the dilemma of treating undernourished women. Or, by refusing to do so, possibly preventing these patients from the joy of parenthood. Clinics should be aware of the magnitude of adverse outcomes related to pregnancy among those patients with anorexia who do conceive," Feferkorn said.
Although eating disorders can affect menstruation, anorexic women can still conceive naturally. Fertility drugs that stimulate ovulation can also help their pregnancy.
The researchers use the US hospital inpatient care records database that is available publicly as a reference. The data includes the deliveries from 2004 to 2014 with 214 anorexic women and 9,096,574 women without anorexia diagnosis.
The researchers also showed that anorexic women were more likely to have another psychiatric problem besides their eating issues.
The rates for other conditions that may affect pregnant women have no difference. These conditions include hypertensive diseases, placenta previa, gestational diabetes, and postpartum hemorrhage.
Yet, the researchers could not evaluate the degree of anorexia's severity or compliance with treatment.
Feferkorn said women should be checked for anorexia before receiving reproductive therapy. However, it is something that most doctors reportedly fail to practice.
Anorexia Nervosa Effects on Children
In a separate study published by the National Library of Medicine, researchers suggest that children of moms with an eating disorder are more likely to experience disturbances across several categories. Based on the study, these children are more probably labeled as having a difficult temperament and more psychopathological and socio-emotional difficulties. They also tend to exhibit more difficulties in feeding and eating behaviors.
Anorexia nervosa, often called anorexia, is an eating disorder marked by abnormally low body weight. It is also characterized by a strong fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight. People with anorexia make extreme efforts to maintain their weight and figure to the point of making unhealthy or harmful choices.
RELATED ARTICLE: 5 Ways to Help Patients With Eating Disorders Deal With Their Condition and Promote Well-Being
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