Obstetric Complications Associated With Later Eating Disorder

Perinatal complications for the mother or baby may increase the risk of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa for children during their teens, reported investigators here.

If the mother was anemic during pregnancy, had diabetes, or placental infarction, the child has an increased risk of anorexia nervosa, reported Angela Favaro, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Padua in a retrospective study in the Jan 2 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Children with neonatal heart problems, hyperthermia, tremors, or hyporeactivity also stand a significantly better chance of developing anorexia several years on, they added.

The development of bulimia nervosa was associated with placental infarction, neonatal hyporeactivity, early difficulties with eating, shorter than average birth length, and low birth weight.

"Obstetric complications might have more than one role in the etiopathogenesis of eating disorders," Dr. Favaro and colleagues wrote. "First, they may cause hypoxic-induced damage to the brain that impairs the neurodevelopment of the fetus, and second, the adequacy of nutrition during pregnancy and in the immediate postnatal period seems to influence the nutritional status of the adult and appetite programming throughout life."

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