Crononutrição e gestação : uma revisão das pesquisas atuais e perspectivas futuras

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy is a phase of a woman's life marked by several changes (physiological, metabolic, hormonal and psychological) necessary for the development of the fetus, which generate changes in nutritional needs and consequences for maternal nutrition. Recent studies have suggested that not only what and how much one eats, but when one eats it, has reflected in important effects on the gestational period, which are studied by chrononutrition, a research branch of chronobiology that delves into the understanding of how urbanization and sleep can influence eating. Objective: To describe the chrononutritional guidelines (time, frequency, food window) for food consumption among pregnant women. Methods: This is an integrative review in which scientific articles indexed in PUBMED on chrononutrition and pregnancy were reviewed, seeking to collect data from current research and future perspectives in this area of knowledge, essential for the formulation of public policies and guidelines for Primary Health Care for pregnant women. The searches were carried out between August 2021 and September 2022, with descriptors involving chrononutrition and pregnancy, related to the primary objective of the research. Results and discussion: Studies identify a positive correlation between meal times during pregnancy and the size of the baby at birth, glycemic levels and body adiposity, with influences on dietary patterns, diet quality and the regulation of Weight. There is evidence of changes in fasting glucose and insulin in eutrophic pregnant women who consumed carbohydrates and higher energy content at night. Eating late is associated with increased weight and body fat in the general population, which demands attention from the pregnant population, since most of them have meals very close to bedtime. Skipping breakfast causes lower daily consumption of nutrients, which can lead to insufficient nutrients for pregnancy, specifically the important micronutrients for pregnancy that are also involved in the sleep pattern of pregnant women. Conclusions: The chrononutritional guidelines for pregnant women should be based on energy and carbohydrate consumption during the day and lower consumption at night, avoid skipping breakfast and consume more fruits and vegetables more often to improve sleep quality, diet and greater supply of micronutrients. There is evidence that the time, frequency and window of food can lead to important outcomes in pregnancy and the fetus. The improvement of nutritional guidelines, through the insertion of chrononutritional guidelines, will be notorious for maternal and child health, making Primary Health Care professionals complement their approaches during prenatal care.