Eating disorders are associated with adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes: a systematic review

Perceived weight stigma and disordered eating behaviors among postpartum women: The mediating role of weight bias internalization and postpartum depression

Background

Weight stigma is linked to adverse effects, but whether it directly heightens the risk of disordered eating behaviors or psychological factors mediate this connection among postpartum women is uncertain.

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between perceived weight stigma and disordered eating behaviors (restrained eating, emotional eating, and external eating) and identify the mediating role of weight bias internalization and postpartum depression (PPD).

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 507 postpartum women. Data were collected anonymously using self-reported questionnaires, including the Perceived Weight Stigma Questionnaire, Weight Bias Internalization Scale, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, hierarchical linear regression, and mediation analysis.

Results

The results showed that the relationship between perceived weight stigma and disordered eating behaviors was fully mediated by weight bias internalization and PPD. Specifically, perceived weight stigma was associated with greater weight bias internalization, which was associated with greater PPD, and greater PPD was associated with greater disordered eating behaviors.

Conclusion

This may be the first study to propose a chain mediation model exploring the roles of weight bias internalization and PPD in the relationship between perceived weight stigma and disordered eating behaviors among postpartum women. The findings enhance the understanding of the psychological impacts of perinatal weight stigma and underscore the importance of addressing weight stigma in postpartum care. Comprehensive interventions should be developed to enhance postpartum health and reduce the risk of disordered eating behaviors.

Mental and physical health in children of women with a history of anorexia nervosa

Few studies have investigated the offspring of women with anorexia nervosa (AN). The aim of this study was to examine perinatal status, mental and physical health in the offspring of mothers with a history of AN. Fifty-one individuals with adolescent-onset AN and 51 matched controls (COMP) have been followed prospectively. Presently, 30 years after AN onset, at a mean age of 44 years, female participants who had given birth (nAN = 40, nCOMP = 40) were interviewed regarding psychiatric health in their offspring using the Developmental and Well-Being Assessment and the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. In addition, information on the offspring's perinatal status, psychiatric- and physical health was obtained from the Swedish Medical Birth Register and The Swedish National Patient Register. Data regarding mental and physical health were available for 83 and 86 offspring in the AN and COMP groups, respectively. At birth, all of weight, length, head circumference and ponderal index were significantly reduced in the offspring of mothers with a history of AN. In adolescence, parental interviews indicated an overrepresentation of current psychiatric diagnoses in the offspring of mothers with AN. Compared with the offspring in the COMP group, endocrinological, immune and metabolic disorders were much more common in the offspring of the AN group. In conclusion, a history of AN increases the risk of worse perinatal outcome of the offspring. Later on, in childhood and adolescence, psychiatric and physical morbidity may be overrepresented in the offspring of women with AN.

Perinatal depression and risk of maternal cardiovascular disease: a Swedish nationwide study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Increasing evidence suggests that some reproductive factors/hazards are associated with a future risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. While major (non-perinatal) depression has consistently been associated with CVD, the long-term risk of CVD after perinatal depression (PND) is largely unknown.

METHODS

A nationwide population-based matched cohort study involving 55 539 women diagnosed with PND during 2001-14 in Sweden and 545 567 unaffected women individually matched on age and year of conception/delivery was conducted. All women were followed up to 2020. Perinatal depression and CVD were identified from Swedish national health registers. Using multivariable Cox models, hazard ratios (HR) of any and type-specific CVD according to PND were estimated.

RESULTS

The mean age at the PND diagnosis was 30.8 [standard deviation (SD) 5.6] years. During the follow-up of up to 20 years (mean 10.4, SD 3.6), 3533 (6.4%) women with PND (expected number 2077) and 20 202 (3.7%) unaffected women developed CVD. Compared with matched unaffected women, women with PND had a 36% higher risk of developing CVD [adjusted HR = 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31-1.42], while compared with their sisters, women with PND had a 20% higher risk of CVD (adjusted HR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.34). The results were most pronounced in women without a history of psychiatric disorder (P for interaction < .001). The association was observed for all CVD subtypes, with the highest HR in the case of hypertensive disease (HR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.41-1.60), ischaemic heart disease (HR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.13-1.65), and heart failure (HR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06-1.74).

CONCLUSIONS

Women with PND are at higher risk of CVD in middle adulthood. Reproductive history, including PND, should be considered in CVD risk assessments of women.

Eating Styles Profiles and Correlates in Chinese Postpartum Women: A Latent Profile Analysis

Postpartum women present a high risk of disordered eating behaviors, but the heterogeneity between groups was not identified. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify eating styles profiles in postpartum women and explore the correlates based on demographic characteristics and psychosocial factors. Questionnaires were administered to 507 Chinese postpartum women. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify eating styles profiles. Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate the correlates of these profiles among postpartum women. The LPA identified three eating styles profiles: postpartum women with low emotional, external, and restrained eating (Profile 1, 6.9%); postpartum women with medium emotional, external, and restrained eating (Profile 2, 66.1%); and postpartum women with high emotional, external, and restrained eating (Profile 3, 27.0%). Compared to Profile 1, higher postpartum depression (PPD) and body mass index (BMI) were more likely to be associated with Profile 2 and Profile 3, whereas higher postpartum weight retention (PPWR) was more likely to be associated with Profile 1. Compared to Profile 2, higher PPD and BMI were more likely associated with Profile 3. Disordered eating behaviors in postpartum women with three eating styles were associated with BMI, PPD, and PPWR. This study can guide healthcare professionals in developing targeted interventions to improve maternal and child health globally.

Maternal Eating Disorders and Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Previous systematic reviews have reported on the relationship between eating disorders (EDs) and birth outcomes, but there are no existing meta-analyses on this topic. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the association between lifetime maternal EDs, including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge-eating disorder (BED) with low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), and miscarriage. Four databases were systematically searched for quantitative literature on maternal EDs that preceded birth outcomes. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The meta-analyses included 6 studies on miscarriage, 11 on PTB, 4 on LBW, 9 on SGA, and 4 on LGA. The Mantel-Haenszel random effects model was used to test the associations between EDs and birth outcomes. The results showed significant positive associations between AN and LBW (OR 1.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49, 2.03), AN and SGA (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.17, 1.65), BN and PTB (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.04, 1.36), and BED and LGA (OR 1.43 95% CI 1.18, 1.72). EDs were not significantly correlated with miscarriage. These findings reveal the importance of screening for and treating EDs in pregnant women.

Prevalence and related factors of eating disorders in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To reveal the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) and related factors in pregnancy.

METHODS

The search was performed in PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Ovid databases search up to April 3, 2022, using the keywords combination of "(eating disorders OR anorexia nervosa OR bulimia nervosa OR binge eating disorder) AND (pregnancy OR pregnant)". Two researchers independently extracted data from the articles using a standard form. We evaluated the quality of the studies according to the Joanna Briggs Institute assessment tools.

RESULTS

The prevalence of EDs in pregnant women in the 11 studies involving 2,369,520 pregnant women was ranging between 0.5 and 10.6%. The prevalence of EDs in pregnant women was 4.3% (95% confidence interval 2%-9%; I2 = 99.5%). The prevalence of anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder during pregnancy shows a statistically significant increase compared to pre-pregnancy, and the prevalence of bulimia nervosa during pregnancy decreases. The prevalence of EDs is higher in pregnant women under 30 years of age, secondary school graduates, married, and with normal BMI. Half of the pregnant women with EDs had anxiety and about one-third of pregnant women had depression. Excessive exercise is observed in 0.7% of pregnant women, fasting in 0.3%, laxative or diuretic use in 0.1%, and self-induced vomiting in 0.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is important as it is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to reveal the global prevalence of EDs in pregnant women and related factors. Continuing routine screening tests to detect EDs during pregnancy may contribute to taking special preventive measures for risk groups and protecting mother-child health.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number (CRD42022324721), date of registration: 10/05/2022.

Hyperemesis gravidarum and eating disorders before and after pregnancy: A register-based study

OBJECTIVE

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of excessive vomiting during pregnancy. The connection between psychiatric morbidity and HG has been debated, but only a few studies have focused on eating disorders (EDs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between HG and both pre-pregnancy and new post-pregnancy EDs.

METHODS

A register-based controlled study. HG diagnoses were retrieved from healthcare registers between 2005 and 2017. Women with HG in their first pregnancy resulting in delivery were chosen as cases (n = 4265; the HG group) and women with no HG as controls (n = 302,663; the non-HG group). The associations between EDs and HG were analyzed by binary logistic regression, adjusted with age, body mass index, smoking, socioeconomic status, and pre-pregnancy psychiatric diagnoses.

RESULTS

In the HG group, 1.6% and in the non-HG group, 0.2% had a pre-pregnancy ED. Women with ED were more likely to have HG in their first pregnancy compared with women with no history of EDs (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 9.4, 95% CI 6.52-13.66, p < .0001). Moreover, 0.4% of the women in the HG group and 0.1% of the women in the non-HG group had a new ED diagnosis after pregnancy, and thus the women in the HG group were more likely to have an ED diagnosis after pregnancy (AOR I 3.5, 95% CI 1.71-7.15, p < .001, AOR II 2.7, 95% CI 1.30-5.69, p = .008).

DISCUSSION

We found a bidirectional association between ED and HG, suggesting a shared etiology or risk factors between these disorders. This finding emphasizes the importance of collaboration across various specialties when treating these patients.

PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE

Our findings suggest a bidirectional association between HG and EDs before and after pregnancy. This finding provides essential information for healthcare professionals working with pregnant women. As both of these disorders are known to have far-reaching effects on the lives of both the mother and her offspring, our results help clinicians to target special attention and interventions to the patients suffering from these disorders.

Management of anorexia nervosa in pregnancy: a systematic and state-of-the-art review

Anorexia nervosa is a potentially severe, chronic, and relapsing mental disorder that is more common in women and girls during the reproductive years (usually defined as those aged 12-51 years). It is associated with suicide and mortality linked with the physical consequences of starvation. Although anorexia nervosa is a disorder of low prevalence, and even lower prevalence in pregnancy, it is associated with substantial risks for the mother and infant when under-recognised and undermanaged. Despite the complexity and risk of managing anorexia nervosa in pregnancy, few studies are available to guide care. We conducted a systematic review, identifying only eight studies that addressed the management of anorexia nervosa in pregnancy. These studies were case studies or case reports examining narrow aspects of management. Subsequently, we conducted a state-of-the-art review across research in relevant disciplines and areas of expertise for managing anorexia nervosa in pregnancy and synthesised the findings into recommendations and principles for multidisciplinary management of anorexia nervosa in pregnancy. These recommendations included a focus on the specialist mental health, obstetric, medical, and nutritional care required to ensure optimal outcomes for women and their infants. Despite the complexity and risks, a gap exists in the comprehensive guidelines and recommendations for managing anorexia nervosa in pregnancy. This Review provides multidisciplinary recommendations for clinical care in this area. Managing anorexia nervosa in pregnancy is an area of clinical care that requires a multidisciplinary approach and includes those experienced in managing high-risk pregnancies.