Perinatal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulation among women with eating disorders and their infants

During pregnancy women with ED have lower cortisol declines, suggestive of blunted diurnal cortisol rhythms. Postnatally, their infants also have a heightened response to stress. This is the first study to identify HPA axis dysfunction in pregnancy in women with ED, and to show an intergenerational effect. Since dysfunctions in HPA activity during childhood may represent a risk factor for psychological and physical health problems later in life, further investigation of the potential long-term implications of these findings is crucial.