title: Course and predictors of maternal eating disorders in the postpartum period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate course and predictors of eating disorders in the postpartum period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 77,807 women, participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), completed questionnaires during pregnancy including items covering DSM-IV criteria for prepregnancy anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS-P), and binge eating disorder (BED). Additional questionnaires were completed at 18 and 36 months postpartum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proportions of women remitting at 18 months and 36 months postpartum were 50% and 59% for AN, 39% and 30% for BN, 46% and 57% for EDNOS-P, and 45% and 42% for BED, respectively. However, disordered eating persisted in a substantial proportion of women meeting criteria for either full or subthreshold eating disorders. BN during pregnancy increased the risk for continuation of BN. BMI and psychological distress were significantly associated with course of BED.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first large-scale population-based study on course of eating disorders in the postpartum period. The results indicated that disordered eating persists in a substantial proportion of women with prepregnancy eating disorders. Health care professionals working with women in this phase of life need to pay specific attention to eating disorder symptoms and behaviors.
authors: Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. Cecilie.Knoph.Berg@fhi.no
authors: Cecilie
authors: C
authors: Knoph
authors: Ann
authors: A
authors: Von Holle
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Zerwas
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Torgersen
authors: Kristian
authors: K
authors: Tambs
authors: Camilla
authors: C
authors: Stoltenberg
authors: Cynthia M
authors: CM
authors: Bulik
authors: Ted
authors: T
authors: Reichborn-Kjennerud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires