Disordered eating and eating disorders among women seeking fertility treatment: A systematic review

Hecht, Leah M; Hadwiger, Ashley; Patel, Salma; Hecht, Bryan R.; Loree, Amy M.; Ahmedani, Brian K.; Miller-Matero, Lisa R

doi:10.1007/s00737-021-01156-x

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 55 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This finding is consistent with previous findings that eating disorders are more prevalent during pregnancy than in other periods of life ( Smink et al, 2012 ; Easter et al, 2013 ; Pettersson et al, 2016 ; Hecht et al, 2022 ), that pregnancy, psychologically as well as physically, can be an extremely challenging time for women with an eating disorder ( Claydon et al, 2018 ), that stress around pregnancy and facing parenthood may produce an uncontrollable urge to restrict weight gain ( Patel et al, 2005 ), that women with a prior history of eating problems may find it difficult to adjust to their changing body ( Freizinger et al, 2010 ), that eating disordered behaviors from previous years may return ( Mitchell-Gieleghem et al, 2002 ; Ward, 2008 ; Koubaa et al, 2015 ), and of a high incidence of symptomatic relapse in women with an eating disorder ( Sollid et al, 2004 ; Coker et al, 2013 ; Makino et al, 2020 ; Janas-Kozik et al, 2021 ). Our finding agrees also well with the finding that pregnancy is vulnerable period for women’s mental well-being ( Eberhard-Gran et al, 2014 ; Hahn-Holbrook et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Bodies out of control: Relapse and worsening of eating disorders in pregnancy

Sommerfeldt

Skårderud²,

Kvalem³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundBeing pregnant is a vulnerable period for women with a history of eating disorders. A central issue in eating disorders is searching control of one’s body and food preferences. Pregnancy implies being increasingly out of control of this. Treatment and targeted prevention start with the patient’s experience. Little is known about how women with a history of eating disorder experience being pregnant.MethodWe interviewed 24 women with a history of eating disorder at the time of pregnancy, recruited from five public pregnancy controls at local family health centers in Norway. Interviews were analyzed by means of ideal type analysis, with a particular focus on how the participants experienced pregnancy and perceived triggers in possible experiences of relapse or worsening during pregnancy. All participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and were diagnosed (DSM-5) by using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE).ResultsOn becoming pregnant, 23 of the 24 participants experienced worsening or relapse of their disorder. This occurred both at first time and after several pregnancies, and either interviewed early or late in pregnancy. Ideal type analyses indicated seven different personal features associated with worsening or relapse: the “chaotic” “rigid” “perfect” “worried” “shameful” “motherhood fearing” and “the mother with lost identity” Perceived triggers of worsening or relapse were: “loss of control” “unpredictability” “competition” “change of appearance” “shame and nausea” and “loss of identity.”ConclusionPregnancy is a vulnerable period for women with a history of eating disorders. A great variation in personal psychological dynamics seems to interact with perceived triggers in worsening or relapse of eating disorder. Our findings have important implications in understanding mechanisms of relapse in pregnancy, preventing relapse and help tailoring adequate intervention.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Bodies out of control: Relapse and worsening of eating disorders in pregnancy

Sommerfeldt

Skårderud²,

Kvalem³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some studies have indicated that women with a history of eating disorders are particularly at risk of deteriorating mental health during pregnancy and early motherhood, including relapse or worsening of their eating problems ( Arnhold et al, 2019 ; Sollid et al, 2021 ; Sommerfeldt et al, 2022 ). Furthermore, infertility, IVF, and its side effects seem to increase the risk of worsening or relapse of eating disorders ( Suthersan et al, 2011 ; Grilo et al, 2012 ; Bruneau et al, 2017 ; Janas-Kozik et al, 2021 ), or of promoting disordered eating ( Hecht et al, 2022 ). This study adds to this knowledge by demonstrating that women with a history of severe eating disorders are more likely to experience worsening or relapse of their eating problems during the IVF, i.e., even before they become pregnant.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Disordered eating as well as lifelong eating disorders occur more frequently among women seeking fertility treatment compared to the general population ( Freizinger et al, 2010 ; Easter et al, 2011 ; Bruneau et al, 2017 ; Paslakis and de Zwaan, 2019 ; Barbosa-Magalhaes et al, 2020 ; Hecht et al, 2022 ; Le Floch et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED) may all cause amenorrhea, irregular menstruation, and hormonal imbalance ( Crow et al, 2008 ; Micali et al, 2014 ; Kimmel et al, 2016 ; Hecht et al, 2022 ; Le Floch et al, 2022 ), resulting in an increased risk of infertility.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, the stressful experience of undergoing IVF increases the risk of relapsing into an eating disorder ( Grilo et al, 2012 ; Bruneau et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, infertility and side effects of IVF may exacerbate eating pathology ( Suthersan et al, 2011 ; Janas-Kozik et al, 2021 ) or promote disordered eating ( Cavalcante et al, 2019 ; Hecht et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThere is a higher prevalence of eating disorders among women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF). Women with a history of eating disorders may be particularly vulnerable to eating disorder relapse during IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The experience of these women during this process has hardly been studied scientifically, despite its high clinical relevance. The overall aim of this study is to describe how women with a history of eating disorders experience the process of becoming a mother through IVF, pregnancy, and the postpartum period.MethodsWe recruited women with a history of severe anorexia nervosa who had undergone IVF (n = 7) at public family health centers in Norway. Semi-openly, the participants were interviewed extensively first during pregnancy, and then 6 months after birth. The 14 narratives were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analyses (IPA). All participants were required to complete the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and were diagnosed (DSM-5) by using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), during both pregnancy and postpartum.ResultsAll participants experienced a relapse of an eating disorder during IVF. They perceived IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood to be overwhelming, confusing, a source of severe loss of control, and a source of body alienation. There were four core phenomena that were reported that were strikingly similar across all participants: “anxiousness and fear,” “shame and guilt,” “sexual maladjustment,” and “non-disclosure of eating problems.” These phenomena persisted continuously throughout IVF, pregnancy, and motherhood.ConclusionWomen with a history of severe eating disorders are highly susceptible to relapse when undergoing IVF, pregnancy, and early motherhood. The process of IVF is experienced as extremely demanding and provoking. There is evidence that eating problems, purging, over-exercising, anxiousness and fear, shame and guilt, sexual maladjustment, and non-disclosure of eating problems continue throughout IVF, pregnancy, and the early years of motherhood. Therefore, it is necessary for healthcare workers providing services to women undergoing IVF to be attentive and intervene when they suspect a history of eating disorders.

show abstract

Specialist Medical Assessment of Eating Disorders

Robinson,

Cutinha

2024

Eating Disorders

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Disordered eating and eating disorders among women seeking fertility treatment: A systematic review

Cited by 10 publications

References 55 publications

Bodies out of control: Relapse and worsening of eating disorders in pregnancy

Bodies out of control: Relapse and worsening of eating disorders in pregnancy

IVF-induced pregnancy and early motherhood among women with a history of severe eating disorders

Specialist Medical Assessment of Eating Disorders

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About