Emilie Bahne Thygesen - PhD Scholarship 2024
Project summary:
Healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy - The effect on coagulation for mother and child
Women with overweight or obesity will undergo multifactorial intervention to induce a body weight loss prior to pregnancy and maintenance of a healthy weight during pregnancy. The hypothesis is that the intervention will alter the coagulation of the women and reduce their risk of developing complications during pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum and potentially have an influence on the coagulability of their offspring.
Project Title
Healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy - The effect on coagulation for mother and child
Background
Overweight increases the risk of blood clots and other complications during pregnancy and delivery. It is unknown if weight loss prior to pregnancy and healthy weight gain during pregnancy reduce this risk. A method called thromboelastography (TEG) gives a detailed picture of how blood clots and dissolves and it is a unique opportunity to study how lifestyle changes before and during pregnancy affect this process.
Aim
The study aims to investigate vascular effects of lifestyle changes and weight loss prior to and during pregnancy in women with overweight or obesity and their newborn.
Methods
A total of 360 women with BMI >27 kg/m2 seeking pregnancy, are randomly chosen to either a lifestyle intervention group or a standard care group. The goal is to achieve healthy children through weight loss before pregnancy and healthy weight gain during pregnancy. The vascular effects of the intervention are assessed using TEG before, during and after pregnancy. Pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum complications will be monitored from electronic medical records.
Emilie Bahne Thygesen
- MD
- Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
- University of Copenhagen
Main supervisor:
Tina Vilsbøll, Clinical Professor, University of Copenhagen and Consultant at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
Co-supervisors:
Louise Groth Grunnet, MSc, PhD Senior Researcher, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
Per G. Hagelqvist, MD and PhD, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen
Signe Foghsgaard, MD DMSc, PhD, Department of Obstetrics, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen
Signe Torekov, Professor in Clinical and Translational Metabolism, University of Copenhagen