Eating Disorders And Pregnancy - The Relationship Between Specific Eating Disorders And Pregnancy

Pregnancy and motherhood require great physical and psychological strengths. During pregnancy the baby in the womb receives nourishment from the body of the mother. The mother's body should have sufficient storage of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. A malnourished body can lead to various complications and can endanger the life of both the mother and the child. The average woman needs to gain about 25 to 35 pounds when she is pregnant. This can come only through proper nourishment. The women who are suffering from various eating disorders and weight-related problems need to resolve them before getting pregnant.

Eating disorders tend to peak during child-bearing years. Body image concerns are more prevalent during the time of pregnancy. For those who are already struggling with some form of eating disorder, the nine months of pregnancy can lead to further worsening of the situation. Anorexia nervosa involves obsessive dieting. Bulimia nervosa involves binge eating and vomiting. Both types can negatively affect the pregnancy process.

Research indicates that eating disorders often lead to low birth weight and premature birth. Other serious disorders that can occur in the baby include a low IQ, cerebral palsy and failure to live beyond the first year. While an eating disorder puts undue stress on the growing baby, pregnancy stresses the mother suffering from eating disorder. Pregnancy leads to complications that may have been already present in the woman like kidney, heart and liver problems.

Apart from complications during labor, mothers having eating disorders suffer from severe depression during the whole pregnancy period. They fear that their abnormal eating habits would damage the health of the unborn child. This fear continues after delivery and post-partum depression (PPD) sets in. This kind of depression makes it extremely difficult for the mother to take care of the newborn. These women are usually asked to seek both medical and psychological help. They need to inform their obstetricians about the disorder they are suffering from. Taking the help of a nutritionist both during and after pregnancy helps the mother to return to a normal weight through proper nourishment. Counselling helps her to cope with fears regarding weight gain and role of motherhood.

Women suffering from anorexia nervosa are underweight. They may not seek proper nourishment and gain enough weight while pregnant. The baby born of such a mother has the risk of having a low birth weight and other health problems. Anorexics become depressed and frantic because of the weight gain that is normal during pregnancy. Many of them feel out of control with their bodies and are worried about causing harm to the baby. Regular pre-natal visits to the doctor are mandatory for anorexics.

Women suffering from bulimia nervosa are prone to heightened health risks like dehydration or cardiac irregularities. Overweight women are at a risk of developing high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and giving birth to overgrown babies. There have been numerous instances of stillbirth, low birth weight, breech delivery and cleft palate of infants connected with bulimic mothers. Often, bulimics stop overeating and vomiting during pregnancy. But the disorder returns in full force after delivery. As a result, bulimics suffer most from post-partum depression.

• Cassandra Bagley
• 14/05/2009, 3:59 PM
• 0 Comments