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The offspring of mothers with eating disorders
Rebecca J Park1, Rob Senior, Alan Stein
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge and Bedfordshire and Luton Community NHS Trust, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 2AH.
Insights
Children of parents with eating disorders face increased developmental risks. Research is emerging, highlighting genetic, environmental, and parenting factors influencing child outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Psychiatry
- Eating Disorders
Background:
- Children of parents with psychiatric disorders are at higher risk for developmental issues.
- Research on offspring of parents with eating disorders is limited compared to other psychiatric conditions.
- Existing research primarily focuses on mothers with eating disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing evidence on the developmental risks for children of parents with eating disorders.
- To explore various domains including genetic, perinatal, and early childhood factors.
- To summarize potential mechanisms linking parental eating disorders to child development.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of available literature.
- Examination of evidence across multiple developmental stages (pregnancy, infancy, childhood, adolescence).
- Inclusion of factors such as genetics, parenting, and psychopathology.
Main Results:
- Children of mothers with eating disorders show an increased risk for developmental disturbances.
- Risk is influenced by multiple factors, and negative outcomes are not inevitable.
- Limited research exists on paternal eating disorders or male partners of affected mothers.
Conclusions:
- Parental eating disorders pose a significant risk to child development.
- Further research is needed, particularly on paternal involvement and diverse mechanisms.
- Understanding these risks can inform early intervention and support strategies.
Abstract:
There is good evidence that children of parents with psychiatric disorders are at increased risk of disturbances in their development. There is considerable research on disorders such as depression and alcohol abuse, but research on the children of parents with eating disorders has only recently emerged. This paper reviews evidence in a number of domains, including genetic factors; pregnancy; the perinatal and postpartum period; followed by infancy, and the early years, focusing on feeding and mealtimes, general parenting functions and growth. Psychopathology in the children, parental attitudes to children's weight and shape, and adolescence are then considered. While numerous case reports and series have been published, there are very few systematic controlled studies, and virtually no reports of the influence of fathers with eating disorders or the male partners of mothers with eating disorders. The available evidence suggests that children of mothers with eating disorders are themselves at increased risk of disturbance in a variety of domains. This risk depends on a range of factors, and it should be noted that difficulties in the offspring of mothers with an eating disorder are far from invariable. Finally, based on current evidence, five types of mechanisms by which eating disturbance in parents can influence child development are summarised.