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Children of Parents with Eating Disorders

  • Eating Disorders (S Wonderlich and JM Lavender, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Our primary goal in this article is to review recent findings (from 2015 and on) concerning children of parents with eating disorders. This review addresses the question of whether the offspring of parents with past or present eating disorders have adverse outcomes. This update is timely and informative because recent research includes controlled studies and large cohort designs and earlier reviews relied on case report evidence.

Recent Findings

Despite substantial diversity in study design, sample size, and parental eating disorder definition, overall, existing research suggests that the children of parents with eating disorders exhibit compromised development: a greater risk of perinatal complications; a tendency toward extremes of growth at birth; greater problems in feeding and eating behaviors and greater incidence of eating disorder symptoms; more psychological and socioemotional difficulties; and more negative qualities to parent-child interactions. Data on children’s cognitive outcomes is thus far inconsistent.

Summary

Given the relatively high incidence of eating disorder history in individuals of childbearing age, research into its potential effects on children is necessary. However, the methodological shortcomings and a limited evidence base caution in drawing conclusions. Nevertheless, mental health services should address the possible problems that these children face and offer tailored programs.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7160, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7160, USA

    Hunna J. Watson

  2. School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Hunna J. Watson & Amy O’Brien

  3. School of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

    Hunna J. Watson

  4. Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel

    Shiri Sadeh-Sharvit

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  1. Hunna J. Watson
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Correspondence to Hunna J. Watson.

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Hunna J. Watson, Amy O’Brien, and Shiri Sadeh-Sharvit declare no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Eating Disorders

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Watson, H.J., O’Brien, A. & Sadeh-Sharvit, S. Children of Parents with Eating Disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep 20, 101 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0970-3

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