Birth Month Seen Linked To Multiple Sclerosis Risk

[CVX]

LONDON (Reuters) - People born in May in the northern hemisphere have a higher than average risk of developing multiple sclerosis, researchers said on Tuesday.



An analysis of data from studies of more than 42,000 people in Canada, Britain, Denmark and Sweden showed that May babies have a 13 percent increased chance of suffering from the illness later in life, but that having a November birthday decreased the average odds by 19 percent.



"If you are born in May, your risk is higher than any other month and if you are born in November your risk is lower than any other month," Professor George Ebers, of Radcliffe Infirmary at the University of Oxford, said in an interview.



The effect was similar in all the countries but most prominent in Scotland which has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the world, according to Ebers.



Although the scientists cannot explain the correlation between birth month and MS, they suspect it could be linked to exposure to sunlight and the mother's vitamin D levels, which could influence the child's development.



Shorter days during the winter months in the northern hemisphere limit the amount of sunlight women are exposed to during pregnancy. The body makes vitamin D from sunlight. Foods such as oily fish and egg yolk are rich in the vitamin.



More: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... alth_ms_dc

[Paula]

Very interesting, my mother was born January, died from complications of M.S. A high rate in Scotland? what is that about, my mother was French descent from Canada? Although what was weird, out of (5) daughters my mother was the only to have blue eyes and blonde hair? I was tested and do not have it, it is a terrible disease... :-1