Early maternal adjustment in women with eating disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To study early adaptation to motherhood in mothers with eating disorders (ED) before pregnancy.


METHODS
Forty-four nulliparous nonsmoking women with ED before pregnancy (24 anorexia nervosa, 20 bulimia nervosa) and 67 controls were recruited from the same prenatal clinics. Three months after delivery, the women completed the maternal adjustment and maternal attitude questionnaire (MAMA) and were asked about mental health problems postpartum.


RESULTS
Ninety-two percent of mothers with ED before pregnancy reported problems regarding their maternal adjustment compared to 13% in the control group (p < 0.001), whereas there were no differences between the subgroups of ED and between those with and without verified relapse of ED during pregnancy. Fifty percent of mothers with previous ED reported that they had been in contact with health services after delivery because of depression or other mental problems and these women had significantly higher MAMA score than patients not reporting such contact with health services (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Adjustment to motherhood was clearly impaired and related to mental problems in mothers with ED before pregnancy.
Koubaa
Saloua
S
Department of Women and Child Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Hällström
Tore
T
Hirschberg
Angelica Lindén
AL
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden