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New professor carries out research into obesity and diabetes during pregnancy

Consultant Per Ovesen is new clinical professor at Aarhus University (AU) and Aarhus University Hospital (AUH). He conducts research into whether foetuses in overweight and diabetic women have an increased risk of developing obesity at birth and later in life.

In the western world there is an increasing number of overweight and diabetic women of childbearing age. But what does this mean for these women's fetuses? This is what Per Ovesen studies in his research. He has recently taken up a clinical professorship at AU and AUH.

"I’m very pleased with the professorship. It gives me the opportunity to continue my research into overweight and diabetic pregnant women, which I hope will benefit these women and their children," says the researcher.

Per Ovesen's field of research is called fetal programming. Fetal programming refers to factors which influence the fetus in utero, meaning that an overweight or diabetic pregnant woman programmes the fetus to develop obesity – both at birth and later in life.

"Our research can form the basis for future recommendations about physical activity and food intake for these pregnant women. The hope is that the recommendations can reduce pregnancy and birth complications and also the risk of the fetus developing obesity. We can hereby in the long term curb the increasing frequency of overweight children," explains Per Ovesen.

Per Ovesen is consultant at the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus University Hospital.

Further information

Clinical Professor, Consultant Per Ovesen
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
per.ovesen@clin.au.dk
Direct tel.:
(+45) 7845 3329