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Anorexia Nervosa: Reproduction and Consequences for Mother and Child

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Eating Disorders

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Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) mainly affects girls and women in adolescence and early adulthood, making it of particular importance to understand the impact of the disease on reproductive function, pregnancy, and postpartum period and how children to mothers with eating disorders are affected. Anorexia nervosa is associated with extensive endocrine abnormalities resulting in impaired fertility, which is commonly normalized with weight and nutritional restoration. Although rare, spontaneous pregnancy can occur among women with ongoing AN, and there are no major limitations for women recovered from AN to conceive. Nevertheless, pregnancy constitutes a vulnerable time period and may affect the disease course among women with ongoing disease and possess a relapse risk for women with previous disease. Consequently, it is important to identify women with ongoing or a history of AN in antenatal maternal health care in order to provide adequate support and management to prevent adverse outcomes. Maternal AN is associated with several adverse pregnancy-related outcomes, including anemia, hyperemesis gravidarum, antepartum hemorrhage and preterm delivery, and restricted fetal growth. The children to mothers with AN seem to suffer from an increased risk of developing specific conditions throughout childhood. This chapter reviews available evidence on the impact of maternal anorexia nervosa on fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum period and childhood health.

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Abbreviations

AN:

Anorexia nervosa

BMD:

Bone mineral density

CRH:

Corticotropin-releasing hormone

CVD:

Cardiovascular disease

DXA:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

FHA:

Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea

FSH:

Follicle-stimulating hormone

GH:

Growth hormone

GnRH:

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone

hCG:

Human chorionic gonadotropin

HG:

Hyperemesis gravidarum

ID:

Iron deficiency

IGF-1:

Insulin-like growth factor 1

LDL:

Low-density lipoprotein

LH:

Luteinizing hormone

PPROM:

Premature rupture of membrane

SGA:

Small for gestational age

SHBG:

Sex hormone-binding globulin

T3:

Triiodothyronine

TSH:

Thyroid-stimulating hormone

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

    Ängla Mantel

  2. Division of Neonatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Angelica Lindén Hirschberg

Authors
  1. Ängla Mantel
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  2. Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
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Correspondence to Ängla Mantel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood Patel

  2. Dept Nutrition & Dietetics, King's College London, London, UK

    Victor Preedy

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Mantel, Ä., Hirschberg, A.L. (2022). Anorexia Nervosa: Reproduction and Consequences for Mother and Child. In: Patel, V., Preedy, V. (eds) Eating Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67929-3_33-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67929-3_33-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-67929-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-67929-3

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