Townsville midwives are taking part in an Australian-first trial to better support mums with eating disorders during pregnancy and after birth.
Project Lead, Dr Grace Branjerdporn, said before and after birth were high risk times for mothers developing an eating disorder.
"An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition and having an eating disorder that goes undetected and unsupported in pregnancy may result in complications for a mother and baby," she said.
"These modules will better equip staff with recognising and responding to behaviours as well as having meaningful and supportive approaches to such conversations."
Dr Branjerdporn is the Service Development and Research Team Leader of Queensland's first and only integrated perinatal mental healthcare service, Catherine's House for Mothers, Babies and Families at Mater's South Brisbane campus.
The study called Eating disorders in the peripartum: Creation and evaluation of an online module for health professionals and peer workers is underway at Mater Mothers' Hospitals in Townsville and South Brisbane, after Dr Branjerdporn was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Australian Eating Disorders Research Institute.
The newly designed online modules contain information aimed at midwives, child health nurses, medical staff and peer workers supporting mothers in the peripartum.
Dr Branjerdporn said asking mums about eating disorders should become a prerequisite when taking a patient's history.
She said the perinatal period can trigger the development of an eating disorder for the first time or may aggravate a pre-existing condition with the pregnancy complicating eating disorder symptoms related to changes in body weight and shape.
Eating disorders in the peripartum are often under recognised for several reasons related to both the health system and presenting for care, Dr Branjerdporn said.
She said in expectant mothers, eating disorder signs can manifest as normal symptoms in pregnancy such as nausea, vomiting, having a decreased or increased appetite, or normalise restriction and food avoidances.
Dr Branjerdporn said the learning modules showed how eating disorders can present as psychological, physical or behavioural.
According to the National Eating Disorder Collaboration, around 15 per cent of women will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives.
There are several types of eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, and Disordered Eating, which is disturbed and unhealthy eating patterns. This can include restrictive dieting, compulsive eating or skipping meals.
"This particular study asks midwives to do an online module which includes interactive activities and videos of mums with lived experience. It is a co-designed study and will help health professionals better detect eating disorders," Dr Branjerdporn said.
"Morning sickness is very similar to binge purging and this program will help midwives detect this in patients.
"It is important to recognise that a patient with an eating disorder might not look like they have one.
"Sometimes mums will say they are eating for two, and then they will rationalise binging.
"Some feel a lot of shame around their eating disorder history and don't want to raise it themselves."
Mater Assistant Director Clinical Services, Ambulatory and Birthing Kathleen Goldsmith participated in the online modules and said the use of videos featuring women with lived experiences put real-life situations into perspective.
"The modules covered all stages from pre-pregnancy through to after birth and how to incorporate the care of women with eating disorders into everyday practice," Ms Goldsmith said.
"Having the skillset to identify eating disorders in women, no matter what age, will ensure access to care and support is provided."
There are plans to trial the study at all Mater Mothers' hospitals across Queensland.
