Elsevier

The Journal of Pediatrics

Volume 154, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 55-60.e1
The Journal of Pediatrics

Original article
Infant Feeding and Weight in the First Year of Life in Babies of Women with Eating Disorders

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2008.07.003Get rights and content

Objective

To examine feeding patterns and growth in the first year of life in infants of women with eating disorders in a population-based cohort.

Study design

Women and their infants (n = 12 050) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children were studied. Prospectively collected data on feeding difficulties at age 1 and 6 months, breast-feeding during the first year, and weight and conditional growth at age 9 months were compared for infants of women with a self-reported history of an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa) and women with and without other severe psychiatric disorders.

Results

The women with eating disorders were more likely to breast-feed. Infants of women with anorexia nervosa were at higher risk for feeding difficulties between age 0 and 6 months compared with those of women without psychiatric disorders, after controlling for relevant confounders. Women with other psychiatric disorders reported more feeding difficulties than those without psychiatric disorders. Infants of bulimic women were significantly more likely to be overweight and to have faster growth rates at age 9 months compared with controls.

Conclusions

Maternal eating disorders affect infant feeding and growth in the first year. Health professionals should be alert to these potential effects.

Section snippets

Sample

The ALSPAC is a longitudinal, population-based, prospective study of women and their children.12 All pregnant women living in the geographical area of Avon, UK who were expected to give birth between April 1, 1991 and December 31, 1992 were invited to participate in the study. All of the women who agreed to participate gave informed and written consent. The sample has been shown to be representative of the British population. A total of 14 663 women were enrolled by the 9th week of pregnancy;

Sociodemographic Data

Maternal sociodemographic and infant data were compared across the groups. The women with a history of eating disorders were slightly older and less likely to be married than the controls. The women with other psychiatric disorders were less likely to be married, to be employed full time, and to be primiparous; their infants were slightly lighter at birth compared with those of the controls (Table I; available at www.jpeds.com).

Breast-Feeding

The women with a history of eating disorders were more likely to

Discussion

The present study compared breast-feeding rates and duration, feeding difficulties, and weight and growth in the first year of life in infants of women with a history of eating disorders and women with and without other severe psychiatric disorders.

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    Funded by the National Alliance for Schizophrenia and Depression and the National Eating Disorders Association. The funding agencies had no involvement with study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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