Eating disorders and fertility research

Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are associated with fertility problems and negative attitudes to pregnancy, according to a study from King's scientists. The research also revealed high rates of unplanned pregnancies in women with a history of anorexia, suggesting they may be underestimating their chances of conceiving. The study has been published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology . Eating disorders are known to cause disruption to a woman's menstrual cycle, with substantial weight loss leading to hormonal changes that might prevent ovulation, but so far little research has been carried out into how eating disorders might affect fertility. A team at King's and UCL investigated a group of 11,088 pregnant women from the Avon area of the UK, with women asked to complete questionnaires at 12 and 18 weeks gestation. Women with lifetime anorexia and bulimia were compared to the group as a whole to assess the impact of their eating disorder on attitudes to fertility and pregnancy. Of the total number of women, 171 (1.5 per cent) had anorexia at some point in their life, 199 (1.8 per cent) had bulimia and an additional 82 (0.7 per cent) had suffered from both conditions.