Eating disorders carry many health problems to anyone, whether pregnant or not. Among these include malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances, vitamin deficiencies and dehydration. For a pregnant woman, these health problems are doubly dangerous, a they can directly impact the baby growing inside of them.
There are both physical and emotional concerns for women with eating disorders who are pregnant. Physical risks to their baby can include delayed fetal growth, low-birthweight babies, birth defects, fetal abnormalities such as cleft palate, jaundice, postpartum respiratory distress and perinatal mortality. Risks to the mom include gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, low amniotic fluid, placental separation, labor complications, and kidney or heart damage.
If you have an eating disorder or a history of an eating disorder, you should actively seek treatment before trying to conceive. If you become pregnant after having recovered from an eating disorder, you should consult with your physician about possible lingering damage caused by the disorder.