Pregnancy and anorexia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pregnancy and anorexia - Research Paper Example Even though they are skinny but they can be easily convinced to be overweight and displays an intense fear of becoming fat. This results in dieting habits, excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and not eating. Majority of the cases reported are adolescent girls especially belonging to higher socio-economic class (Anorexia). Anorexia is turning out to be a serious disease that can be critical and more harmful during pregnancy. It may result in premature labor, low birth weight, still birth or fetal death and complications during delivery (Anorexia). The reported incidence of eating disorder is constantly showing a rise in the past 30 years. The disease could take a severe form and may result in hospitalization and death. It is affecting the females between the age-group of 14- 24 years; adolescent and child bearing age (Chizawsky, 2006). Diagnostic criteria: Loss of at least 3 consecutive menstrual periods (in women), do not want or refuse to eat in public, anxiety, weakness, brittle skin, shortness of breath, obsessivness about calorie intake (Anorexia). Medical Consequences: Shrunken bones, mineral loss, low body temperature, irregular heartbeat, and permanent failure of normal growth, development of osteoporosis and blumia nervosa. To have a healthy baby, a pregnant women must gain 25-25 pounds, but if this is told to anorexic she will take it as if she has to gain 100 pounds (Anorexia). This is the psychology which is becoming the root cause of all related complications in pregnancy and therefore anorexic pregnant women face trouble in carrying a baby to the term. Moreover, if the female is underweight and is not eating proper balanced food then the baby is in danger resulting in miscarriages or premature birth, also, this puts the baby at risk for medical complications (Anorexia). The method for undertaking this study encompasses examination of nulliparous nonsmoking women previously diagnosed with eating disorders and