Birth outcomes and pregnancy complications in women with a history of anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
To examine birth outcomes and pregnancy complications in women with a history of anorexia nervosa.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
Nationwide study in Sweden.


METHODS
All primiparous women--discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa during 1973 to 1996--who gave birth during 1983 to 2002 (n = 1000) were compared with all non-anorexia nervosa primiparous women who gave birth during the same years (n = 827,582).


METHODS
Register study with data from Medical Birth Registry and National Patient Discharge Register.


METHODS
Pre-eclampsia, instrumental delivery, prematurity, small for gestational age, birthweight, Apgar score and perinatal mortality.


RESULTS
Main birth outcome measures in women with a history of anorexia nervosa were very similar to the main population. The only observed differences were a slightly lower mean birthweight and lower adjusted odds ratios for instrumental delivery in the anorexia nervosa group compared with the main population. Neither severity of the disease nor a shorter recovery phase after first hospitalisation was related to pregnancy complications or birth outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
A history of anorexia nervosa was not associated with negative birth outcomes. Thus, special obstetric monitoring of pregnant women with history of anorexia nervosa does not seem to be warranted in a country with a satisfactory maternity surveillance.
Ekéus
C
C
Division of Reproductive and Perinatal Health, Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. cecilia.ekeus@ki.se
Lindberg
L
L
Lindblad
F
F
Hjern
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014620:Vacuum Extraction, Obstetrical