Impact of maternal nutrition in viral infections during pregnancy

Abstract

Other than being a physiological process, pregnancy is a condition characterized by major adaptations of maternal endocrine and metabolic homeostasis that are necessary to accommodate the fetoplacental unit. Unfortunately, all these systemic, cellular, and molecular changes in maternal physiology also make the mother and the fetus more prone to adverse outcomes, including numerous alterations arising from viral infections. Common infections during pregnancy that have long been recognized as congenitally and perinatally transmissible to newborns include toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex viruses (originally coined as ToRCH infections). In addition, enterovirus, parvovirus B19, hepatitis virus, varicella-zoster virus, human immunodeficiency virus, Zika and Dengue virus, and, more recently, coronavirus infections including Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infections (especially the novel SARS-CoV-2 responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic), constitute relevant targets for current research on maternal-fetal interactions in viral infections during pregnancy. Appropriate maternal education from preconception to the early postnatal period is crucial to promote healthy pregnancies in general and to prevent and/or reduce the impact of viral infections in particular. Specifically, an adequate lifestyle based on proper nutrition plans and feeding interventions, whenever possible, might be crucial to reduce the risk of virus-related gestational diseases and accompanying complications in later life. Here we aim to provide an overview of the emerging literature addressing the impact of nutrition in the context of potentially harmful viral infections during pregnancy.

Nutrition as Personalized Medicine against SARS-CoV-2 Infections: Clinical and Oncological Options with a Specific Female Groups Overview

“…To date, only a few papers are available. Moreover, these existing papers ( Table 1 ) might be used to discriminate between food and macronutrients useful or harmful in COVID-19 infection management [ 100 ].…”

Does the Fetus Limit Antibiotic Treatment in Pregnant Patients with COVID-19?

“…Despite inadequate evidence of vertical transmission, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the placenta, umbilical cord blood, and amniotic fluid, although it has not been associated with any maternal or neonatal characteristics. The low proportion of placental viral load does not appear to produce an inflammatory response, suggesting that the placenta is not a preferential target and inclusive could be a protective barrier [ 2 , 41 , 42 , 43 ].…”

Oxidative and Inflammatory Imbalance in Placenta and Kidney of sFlt1-Induced Early-Onset Preeclampsia Rat Model

“…Preeclampsia causes almost 15% of maternal deaths every year [ 3 ], postulating itself as one of the main causes of maternal mortality, neonatal and fetal mortality, and preterm birth. The risk of PE can be reduced following healthy lifestyle habits, such as adequate maternal nutrition and moderate physical activity, or by the absence of medical complications including diabetes mellitus or viral infections [ 4 , 5 ]. PE is a multisystem disorder that can affect the placenta, kidney, heart or liver, among other organs [ 6 , 7 ], thus increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular, renal, and neural diseases in both mother and child [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”