Eating Disorders, Infertility and Pregnancy: Improving Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment
Presented by
Steven F. Crawford, MD
Eating disorders affect more than 30 million Americans. Six million American women between the ages of 15 to 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant. The intersection between disordered eating and fertility and pregnancy is increasingly recognized. However, women with eating disorders rarely disclose their disordered eating patterns to health care providers and OB-GYNs rarely screen for eating disorders so these individuals are typically unrecognized. The impact of an untreated eating disorder is persistent infertility and when pregnancy is achieved there is greater risk for adverse outcomes including premature birth, low birth weight, low Apgar scores and perinatal death. Treatment for the eating disorder plays a critical role in improving outcomes with normalized eating and healthy body weight not only improving fecundability but also improving pregnancy outcomes.
Educational Objectives
- Outline the relationship between eating disorders and fertility and review current literature on outcomes for mothers and babies.
- Discuss guidelines for improved competence in screening and assessment of eating disorders in OB-GYN and primary care settings.
- Review evidence-based treatment during efforts to conceive and/or pregnancy.
We look forward to connecting with you for a day of conversation and education. If you have questions about this event, or need more information, please reach out to Kim Offner at Kim.Offner@ERCPathlight.com.
