Dietary intake of women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and impact on inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers and maternal-fetal perinatal outcomes

• Grant number: 24/18641-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Bianca de Almeida Pititto
• Grantee: Luisa Bittencourt de Aquino Fernandes Dias
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the main diseases during pregnancy, and its increasing incidence has become a public health problem, as it increases the risk of obesity and the risk of type 2 DM (DM2) for mothers in the short and long term. Complications related to GDM can be prevented if there is adequate glycemic control through diet, exercise, and pharmacological treatment when appropriate (with insulin and/or metformin). Adequate food intake and diet quality contribute to avoiding excessive weight gain, reducing insulin use, improving glycemic markers, and attenuating oxidative and inflammatory stress in pregnant women. However, there is still controversy regarding the specific nutritional treatment for GDM and its role in maternal-fetal outcomes. Some studies associate inflammation and oxidative stress with worsening prognosis and maternal-fetal outcomes in pregnant women, and a study comparing these biomarkers and outcomes with dietary quality is essential in GDM. According to the pathophysiological mechanisms related to the development of GDM, such as insulin resistance, reduced insulin sensitivity, oxidative stress, and low-grade inflammation, the hypothesis emerges that the dietary pattern could influence markers related to pathophysiological mechanisms, as well as maternal-fetal outcomes in the short and long term. To this end, instruments for assessing diet quality, such as a food frequency questionnaire to verify the quality and distribution of nutrients, the inflammatory index of the diet, and the total antioxidant capacity of the diet will be associated with biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in women with GDM followed in prenatal care at the Diabetes Center of the Federal University of São Paulo. (AU)