Obstetric complications and eating disorders: a replication study

To provide data about the role of obstetric complications (OCs) in a large and well-characterized sample of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN).

The new sample consists of 150 patients with AN and 35 patients with BN, and 73 healthy women; statistical analyses were performed on the new sample alone and on the larger sample created by merging the new dataset with the previous one (264 AN, 108 BN, and 624 healthy women). All data about OCs were collected blind to diagnostic status.

OC rates in the replication sample were similar to those of our previous studies. In the whole sample, the risk of developing AN was significantly associated with the occurrence and number of pregnancy, delivery, hypoxic, and dysmaturity complications. The risk of developing BN was significantly associated with dysmaturity complications. Signs of retarded fetal growth (being small and short for gestational age, short head circumference) significantly distinguished BN patients from both AN and healthy individuals. Significantly higher number of OCs were found in the binge eating/purging type of AN, in comparison with restricting AN patients.

Our study provides further evidence of the role of OCs as putative risk factors for the development of eating disorders, showing different pathways between AN and BN.