The relationship of food, water intake and esthetic changes during pregnancy

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.20143804410418

Abstract

The most notable esthetic alterations observed during pregnancy occur to the skin, with an increase in thickness due to
edema. It is believed that these problems are triggered and/or aggravated due to the small intake of some food items. The
objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of food consumption, water intake and the appearance of cutaneous
and vascular alterations in pregnant women. Pregnant women participating in health programs in the municipality
of Santos were enrolled, and answered questionnaires to verify healthy practices and attitudes, water intake and esthetic
problems – cellulitis, striae, periorbital dark circles and varicose veins. To evaluate food consumption, a food frequency
questionnaire (FFQ) adjusted for the study purpose was used. The sample was grouped in tertiles for food consumption and
water intake related to each esthetic problem for performance of logistic regression models. 105 pregnant women at the
mean age of 24.4 years participated in the study. The relationship between the consumption of food items which are source
of protein, vitamin C and calcium were found as protective factors for striae (OR 0.62) in the tertile of highest consumption,
as well as water intake for tertiles 2 (OR 0.62) and 3 (OR 0.61). As for varicose veins, cellulitis and periorbital dark
circles this relationship was not statistically significant. It was observed that diets rich in protein, vitamin C, calcium and
water intake (more than four glasses per day) was a protective factor against the appearance of striae in pregnant women.