Study on Maternal Eating Disorders and Child Mental Health

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association highlighted the link between maternal eating disorders and pre-pregnancy body mass index and the risk of mental illness in kids. The growing brain depends on the nutritional condition both before and throughout pregnancy, and shortages in macronutrients and micronutrients during pregnancy may disrupt these processes. Given the importance of maternal nutrition in prenatal development, disordered eating may have an impact on this process and raise the risk of mental health issues in the child. Thus, Ida Nilsson and colleagues carried out this study to look at the relationship between child mental diagnoses and mother eating disorders and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).

Every live birth from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2014, was evaluated in this population-based cohort study using Finnish national records, with follow-up conducted until December 31, 2021. From September 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, the data analysis was carried out. 9 diagnoses of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric progeny were the main results. In 2 models, Cox proportional hazards modeling was employed to account for probable risk variables in the emergence of the outcome diseases. Secondary analyses were stratified based on comorbid eating disorders in children or unfavorable birth outcomes.

The study comprised a total of 392,098 women with an average age of 30.15 (5.38) years. Of them, 42,590 (10.86%) were born outside of Finland, 6,273 (1.60%) had a history of an eating problem, 23,114 (5.89%) were underweight before pregnancy, and 208,335 (53.13%) were overweight or obese.

Even after controlling for possible variables, maternal eating disorders, prenatal underweight, and overweight or obesity were linked to the majority of the examined psychiatric illnesses in children.

The biggest impact sizes were seen for maternal eating disorders not otherwise defined in relation to offspring sleep problems, social functioning, and tic disorders, whereas for maternal severe pre-pregnancy obesity, offspring intellectual impairments had the greatest influence.

Adverse birth outcomes increased the likelihood of kids developing various eating disorders during childhood and infancy, as well as conduct disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Overall, offspring born to mothers who had eating disorders before or during pregnancy, or who were underweight, overweight, or obese prior to pregnancy, may be at a higher risk of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

Source:

Nilsson, I. A. K., Ozsvar, J., Gissler, M., & Lavebratt, C. (2024). Maternal Eating Disorders, Body Mass Index, and Offspring Psychiatric Diagnoses. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 7, Issue 10, p. e2440517). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.40517