Eating Disorders in Pregnant women

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? 4.3% pooled current ED prevalence
Is it more common among pregnant women? Clinically meaningful prevalence; ED subtype may change during pregnancy
Are pregnant women at higher risk? Yes / distinctive reproductive context
How much higher is the risk? 4.3% pooled, range 0.5–10.6%
How often can it be missed? Very High
Does it show up differently among pregnant women? Strong Yes
How might it look different? Expected weight gain, nausea, appetite changes and fetal-health concerns can obscure ED behaviours
What commonly occurs alongside it? Anxiety; depression
What can it be confused with? Normal pregnancy eating changes; hyperemesis gravidarum; GI illness
Common screening tool SCOFF, interpreted in pregnancy context
Separate screening tool for pregnant women No single universal pregnancy-specific ED screener
1 of 14