Eating Disorders and Pregnancy Essays -- Health Birth Nutrition Papers

Eating Disorders and Pregnancy Pregnancy has often been viewed as a period of great developmental change for women. This is also a period in which previously dormant psychological issues rise to the surface and when current issues have the potential to worsen. Because anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa occur primarily in young women, many of whom are of childbearing age, it is important to evaluate the potential medical and psychological consequences when an eating disordered woman becomes pregnant. During pregnancy, conflicts about body changes, alterations in roles, additions of responsibility, and concerns about a woman’s own mothering abilities are prevalent. Many of these concerns are also of great importance to the psychology of eating disorders. Thus, it is not surprising that anorexic and bulimic women have unique problems during their pregnancies (Franko and Walton 1993). The potential for pregnancy to exert a positive or negative influence on eating disorder symptoms is inconclusive. Some studies report a decline in symptoms, while other report heightened symptomatology. However, it has been found that when an eating disorder is present during a pregnancy, the risk of complications is increased (Conti 1998). Anorexia Nervosa and Pregnancy Pregnancy in patients with anorexia nervosa is rarely suspected. Amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) is invariably present and is often accompanied by sensations that resemble symptoms of pregnancy. These symptoms include a bloated abdomen, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. The detection of conception in anorectic patients is often delayed, and the consequences can be severe (Bonne, Rubinoff and Berry 1995). The course of pregna... ...: A Review and Clinical Implications.† International Journal of Eating Disorders. 1993 Jan; Vol. 13(1): 41-48. Lacey, J.H., and Smith, G. â€Å"Bulimia Nervosa: The Impact of Pregnancy on Mother and Baby.† British Journal of Psychiatry. 1987; Vol. 150: 777-781. Stein, A., H. Woolley, S.D. Cooper, and C.G. Fairburn. â€Å"An Observational Study of Mothers with Eating Disorders and Their Infants.† Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 1994; Vol.35 (4): 733-748. Turton, Penelope, et al. â€Å"Incidence and Demographic Correlates of Eating Disorder Symptoms in a Pregnant Population.† International Journal of Eating Disorders.1999 Dec; Vol. 26(4): 448-452. Waugh, Elizabeth and Cynthia M. Bulik. â€Å"Offspring of Women with Eating Disorders.† International Journal of Eating Disorders. 1999 Mar; Vol. 25(2): 123-133.