Limburg Birth Cohort

Meet Chara

Specialising in child health

Chara Ioannou

PhD student

Research project: Evaluation of the potential protective effects of prenatal vitamin K on early life aging
Latest studies: Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics - Democritus University of Thrace

It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important

Research project

Evaluation of the potential protective effects of prenatal vitamin K on early life aging

Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting while it has a significant effect on preventing various cardiovascular diseases, weakening of bones and promoting proper brain function. Newborns are inherited with low levels of vitamin K, which can lead to an increased risk for a bleeding disorder, called vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). Using data that are collected in the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort, I will investigate whether prenatal vitamin K levels have protective effects in newborns and how they affect prenatal aging and the onset of various diseases. In addition I am curious to know if exposure to different environmental factors (e.g., air pollution) during pregnancy affects vitamin K levels and how these are linked with the onset of diseases in children during their pre-school and pre-adolescent age.