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The role of infant characteristics and maternal behaviour in the development of later eating disorders
Author(s) -
Andrews Bernice,
Brown Carol
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
european eating disorders review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.511
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1099-0968
pISSN - 1072-4133
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0968(199908)7:4<279::aid-erv266>3.0.co;2-4
Subject(s) - eating disorders , dieting , medicine , anorexia nervosa , anorexia , binge eating , bulimia nervosa , psychology , pediatrics , psychiatry , developmental psychology , obesity , weight loss , endocrinology
The relation of infant characteristics (prematurity and low birth weight without prematurity) and maternal behaviour involving infant feeding method and her own problem eating was investigated in 149 eating disordered (ED) individuals and 86 controls. The ED group were significantly more likely to report having been born prematurely, that they were bottle fed and that their mothers had dieted or restricted food intake. Rates were elevated for all types of ED but were particularly high for anorexia of the binge‐eating/purging type. Mother's dieting was related to bottle feeding but not to prematurity. Respondents reporting prematurity were also more likely to report being bottle fed. This indication that infant characteristics might be involved in the development of eating disorders warrants further investigation in a larger study using independent records. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.