A prospective study of the influence of eating-disordered mothers on their children.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the effects of eating disordered mothers on their children.


METHODS
Women with a past or present eating disorder (ED; N = 41) and non-eating disordered women (NED); N = 153) and their offspring were followed prospectively.


RESULTS
Female infants of ED mothers sucked significantly faster and were weaned 9 months later than offspring of NED mothers. ED mothers fed their children on a less regular schedule, used food for nonnutritive purposes, and demonstrated significantly higher concern about their daughters' weight than NED mothers from 2 years of age onward. At 5 years, the offspring of ED mothers were reported to demonstrate greater negative affect than the offspring of NED mothers.


CONCLUSIONS
The female offspring of ED mothers demonstrate a high avidity for feeding early in life which, combined with increased maternal concern over their daughters weight and the use of food for nonnutritive purposes, may pose a serious risk for the later development of an eating disorder.
Agras
S
S
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Stanford University, California 94305, USA.
Hammer
L
L
McNicholas
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001290:Attitude; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002652:Child Behavior; D002657:Child Development; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005192:Family Health; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors