It is commonly known that women suffering from eating disorders, or who have suffered from them in the past, are more likely to have reproductive problems. Two new studies, one from the Hjelt Institute in Finland and the other from King’s College Institute for Psychiatry in London, provide some statistics to help show the specific impact of eating disorders on reproductive health.
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Women with eating disorders are more likely to be childless than the general population;
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Those suffering from bulimia nervosa are at an increased risk for induced abortion
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Binge eating disorders put one at a higher risk for having a miscarriage;
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Women with anorexia nervosa were more likely to see a doctor for fertility problems;
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Women with both anorexia and bulimia were more likely to take longer than 6 months to conceive a child.;
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Those with anorexia and bulimia were more likely to need fertility treatment to conceive;
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Unplanned pregnancies were more common among those with anorexia;
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Those with any eating disorder were more likely to have negative feelings upon learning of a pregnancy, while those with anorexia and bulimia had the highest occurrence of negative feelings.
These findings certainly highlight another negative aspect of eating disorders, but they may also help those who are struggling or have struggled with an eating disorder in the past. Women and their health care providers should take special care to address reproductive issues caused by eating disorders. Those who are attempting to become pregnant—as well as their doctors–should be aware and prepared of the special challenges faced by those with eating disorders. An extra effort should be made to try help women to cope with the negative feelings that they are likely to have if they do become pregnant.
Please see our page on eating disorders for more information and ways to get help for you or someone you know. For more individual attention and help, please do not hesitate to call Rebecca Ginder today at (561) 450-5255.
