title: Maternal Circadian Eating Time and Frequency Are Associated with Blood Glucose Concentrations during Pregnancy.
abstract: Synchronizing eating schedules to daily circadian rhythms may improve metabolic health, but its association with gestational glycemia is unknown.
  
  
  
  This study examined the association of maternal night-fasting intervals and eating episodes with blood glucose concentrations during pregnancy.
  
  
  
  This was a cross-sectional study within a prospective cohort in Singapore. Maternal 24-h dietary recalls, fasting glucose, and 2-h glucose concentrations were ascertained at 26-28 wk gestation for 1061 women (aged 30.7 ± 5.1 y). Night-fasting intervals were based on the longest fasting duration during the night (1900-0659). Eating episodes were defined as events that provided >50 kcal, with a time interval between eating episodes of ≥15 min. Multiple linear regressions with adjustment for confounders were conducted.
  
  
  
  Mean ± SD night-fasting intervals and eating episodes per day were 9.9 ± 1.6 h and 4.2 ± 1.3 times/d, respectively; fasting and 2-h glucose concentrations were 4.4 ± 0.5 and 6.6 ± 1.5 mmol/L, respectively. In adjusted models, each hourly increase in night-fasting intervals was associated with a 0.03 mmol/L decrease in fasting glucose (95% CI: -0.06, -0.01 mmol/L), whereas each additional daily eating episode was associated with a 0.15 mmol/L increase in 2-h glucose (95% CI: 0.03, 0.28 mmol/L). Conversely, night-fasting intervals and daily eating episodes were not associated with 2-h and fasting glucose, respectively.
  
  
  
  Increased maternal night-fasting intervals and reduced eating episodes per day were associated with decreased fasting glucose and 2-h glucose, respectively, in the late-second trimester of pregnancy. This points to potential alternative strategies to improve glycemic control in pregnant women. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01174875.
authors: Departments of Reproductive Medicine.|Duke-NUS Medical School and.
authors: See Ling
authors: 0000-0002-9205-5580
authors: SL
authors: Loy
authors: Departments of Reproductive Medicine.|Duke-NUS Medical School and.
authors: Jerry Kok Yen
authors: JK
authors: Chan
authors: Paediatrics, and.
authors: Poh Hui
authors: PH
authors: Wee
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore and.
authors: Marjorelee T
authors: MT
authors: Colega
authors: Center for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.|Tampere Center for Child Health Research, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors: Yin Bun
authors: YB
authors: Cheung
authors: Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.|National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton National Health Service Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors: Keith M
authors: KM
authors: Godfrey
authors: Maternal Fetal Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Kwek
authors: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and.
authors: Seang Mei
authors: SM
authors: Saw
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore and.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors: Yap-Seng
authors: YS
authors: Chong
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors: Padmapriya
authors: P
authors: Natarajan
authors: Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and.|Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charite University Medical Centre, Berlin, Germany; and.
authors: Falk
authors: F
authors: Müller-Riemenschneider
authors: Paediatrics, and.|Duke-NUS Medical School and.
authors: Ngee
authors: N
authors: Lek
authors: Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore and.|Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.|Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and.
authors: Mary Foong-Fong
authors: MF
authors: Chong
authors: Paediatrics, and fabian.yap.k.p@singhealth.com.sg.|Duke-NUS Medical School and.|Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors: Fabian
authors: F
authors: Yap
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: food timing; gestational diabetes; hyperglycemia; meal frequency; pregnancy diet