title: Risk of major adverse perinatal outcomes in women with eating disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low birth weight, prematurity and higher miscarriage rates have previously been reported in women with eating disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether women with a history of eating disorders are at higher risk of major adverse perinatal outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adjusted birth weight, preterm delivery and miscarriage history were compared in those with a history of eating disorders (anorexia nervosa (n=171), bulimia nervosa (n=199) and both (n=82)) and those with other (n=1166) and no psychiatric disorders (n=10 636) in a longitudinal cohort study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The group with bulimia nervosa had significantly higher rates of past miscarriages (relative risk ratio 2.0, P=0.01) and the group with anorexia nervosa delivered babies of significantly lower birth weight than the general population (P=0.01), which was mainly explained by lower pre-pregnancy body mass index. Preterm delivery rates were comparable across groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with a history of eating disorders are at higher risk of major adverse obstetric outcomes. Antenatal services should be aware of this higher risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Box 085, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. N.Micali@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Micali
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simonoff
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treasure
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors