Children born to mothers with eating disorders or a prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) outside the normal range have a heightened risk of developing psychiatric conditions, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. Led by Ida A.K. Nilsson, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, the study underscores a strong connection between maternal health and mental health outcomes in children.

Utilizing data from Finnish national registers, the researchers examined a cohort of 392,098 mothers and 649,956 children to assess the impact of maternal eating disorders and prepregnancy BMI on offspring psychiatric diagnoses. The study found that 1.6 percent of the mothers had a history of an eating disorder, while 5.89 percent were underweight and 53.13 percent were either overweight or obese before pregnancy.

The findings revealed that 16.43 percent of the children were diagnosed with neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders. Even after adjusting for various factors, maternal eating disorders and abnormal BMI—whether underweight, overweight, or obese—were significantly linked to a range of mental health issues in offspring.

Of particular note were the associations between maternal eating disorders and specific conditions in children, such as sleep disorders, social functioning challenges, and tic disorders, with hazard ratios of 3.34 and 2.79, respectively. Children born to mothers with severe prepregnancy obesity were also at greater risk for intellectual disabilities (hazard ratio, 2.04). Additionally, maternal eating disorders were linked to early childhood feeding disturbances, with the highest risk seen in mothers with unspecified eating disorders (hazard ratio, 4.53). Children of mothers with anorexia nervosa were more likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorder (hazard ratio, 2.27).

The researchers stressed the importance of further exploration into the biological mechanisms behind these associations. A deeper understanding could lead to improved maternal health strategies, potentially reducing the risk of psychiatric conditions in future generations.

"Expanding knowledge of these associations can provide valuable insights for developing effective management and treatment options," the authors concluded.