Healthy and unhealthy food consumption among women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and associated maternal and neonatal outcomes

• Grant number: 25/12649-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Principal Investigator: Priscila Oliveira Barbosa
• Grantee: Júlia Ganzerli de Barros Mello
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

During pregnancy, changes in maternal metabolism and physiology are related to the increased nutricional demands of the pregnant woman, in order to maintain maternal health and ensure the proper development of the fetus. Due to the importance of nutrition during this period, major health guidelines recommend healthy eating before pregnancy, throughout the gestational period, and during the postpartum period. A natural diet, based on fruits, vegetables, whole foods, and grains, is essential to support gestational development and to ensure fetal growth. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy include various conditions such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension. These conditions affect many pregnant women and are associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes for both mother and fetus, including preterm birth and fetal growth restriction. In this context, diet quality emerges as a ket factor that can significantly influence maternal and neonatal outcomes. Inadequate diets, especially those high in ultra-processed foods, may be associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and worse perinatal outcomes. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the dietary patterns of pregnant women with hypertensive disorders. Therefore, this project aims to assess the dietary intake of pregnant women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and to correlate diet quality with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. A cross-sectional study will be conducted among pregnant women with chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension, who undergo pregnancy monitoring in Gestational Hypertension Outpatient Clinic of the Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto. (AU)