ANOREXIA IN PREGNANCY CONCERNS

Anorexia nervosa has an increased prevalence in women across child-bearing years, with up to one in 200 pregnant women having the condition. Pregnant women with anorexia are at greater risk of having a stillbirth, underweight baby or pre-term birth, yet there are no clear guidelines for how doctors should manage the condition, according to a new study by Monash University. Led by Professor Megan Galbally, Director of the Centre for Women’s and Children’s Mental Health at Monash University’s School of Clinical Sciences, in Melbourne, the researchers have developed recommendations and principles for multidisciplinary management of anorexia nervosa in pregnancy. These recommendations published in The Lancet Psychiatry include a focus on the specialist mental health, obstetric, medical, and nutritional care required to ensure optimal outcomes for women and their infants.