The occurrence of hypertensive syndromes during pregnancy leads to high rates of maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality. Amongst them, preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most common. This review aims to describe the relationship between oxidative stress and inflammation in PE, aiming to reinforce its importance in the context of the disease and to discuss perspectives on clinical and nutritional treatment, in this line of research. Despite the still incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology of PE, it is well accepted that there are placental changes in pregnancy, associated with an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the antioxidant defence system, characterizing the placental oxidative stress that leads to an increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Hence, a generalized inflammatory process occurs, besides the presence of progressive vascular endothelial damage, leading to the dysfunction of the placenta. There is no consensus in the literature on the best strategies for prevention and treatment of the disease, especially for the control of oxidative stress and inflammation. In view of the above, it is evident the important connection between oxidative stress and inflammatory process in the pathogenesis of PE, being that this disease is capable of causing serious implications on both maternal and fetal health. Reports on the use of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds are analysed and still considered controversial. As such, the field is open for new basic and clinical research, aiming the development of innovative therapeutic approaches to prevent and to treat PE.

No abstract

This article aims to evaluate the associated factors with excessive weight gain in pregnant women from Maceió, the capital of Alagoas, Northeastern Brazil. Cross-sectional study with pregnant women attended in public health in the city of Maceió in 2014, of which socioeconomic, clinical (glycemia, capillary hemoglobin, and blood pressure measurement), dietary, and anthropometric data, including in the latter gestational weight gain, classified as insufficient, adequate and excessive according to the US Institute of Medicine, were collected. The combination of excessive weight gain with the independent variables was tested using the Poisson regression expressed by the Prevalence Ratio (PR) and a 95% confidence interval (CI95%). We studied 403 pregnant women with a mean age of 24.08 ± 6.01 years, with 19.9% of them displayed insufficient weight gain; 14.1% displayed adequate weight gain, and 66.0% displayed excessive weight gain, that was associated with maternal hyperglycemia (PR = 1.35; CI95% = 1.17 to 1.57; p < 0.001). Excessive weight gain is common among pregnant women evaluated with the association of this variable with maternal hyperglycemia.

No abstract

Objectives: to compare the adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnancies of adolescents and elderly women of public health network. Methods: a cross-sectional study carried out with pregnant women at the extremes of reproductive age according to the classification of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (adolescents those aged ≤19 years and those who were older than 35 years) and their newborns. Socioeconomic data (income, schooling, occupation and marital status), as well as clinical (diseases), anthropometric (maternal BMI) and perinatal (gender, weight, length, Apgar and gestational age) data were collected, and Poisson regression in hierarchical model was performed, with the results in Ratio of Prevalence (PR) and its respective Confidence Interval at 95% (95% CI). Results: when comparing adolescent and elderly women, 38.7% vs 54.6% (PR=0.71, CI=0.54-0.94, p=0.002) were observed, respectively, cesarean deliveries; 37.8% vs 25.2% (PR=0.83, CI=0.58-1.19, p=0.332) preterm births; 16.6% vs 20.5% (RP=1.07, CI=0.78-1.46, p=0.666) births of small infants for gestational age (SGA); 18.0% vs 15.3% (RP=1.01, CI=0.69-1.47, p=0.948) births of large-for-gestational-age newborns (LGA); 32.2% vs 34.7% (RP=1.08, CI=0.82-1.42, p=0.578), low birth weight infants and 28.5% vs 42.9% (RP=1.18, CI=0.91-1.54, p=0.201) with high birth length. Conclusions: When compared with adolescent women, pregnant women of advanced age presented a higher frequency of cesarean deliveries.