Persons born during April more likely to suffer multiple sclerosis

Scottish study suggests that babies born in April be at a higher risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life.

The results of the study, reported in the Sunday Times Scotland, suggest that mothers pregnant during the dark autumn and winter months were most likely to give birth to those who would develop the condition.

The Glasgow researchers suggest that a mother’s lack of exposure to sunlight during her unborn baby’s development may explain the results, published in the European Journal of Neurology.

Vitamin D is produced through exposure to sunlight and has been linked to genes thought to be associated with MS. Scientists have suggested that a lack of vitamin D could trigger a predisposition to MS in a person’s genetic makeup.

Director for MS Society Scotland, David McNiven, said: “These intriguing results add weight to the evidence that the environment, and in particular sunlight, plays a part in MS and we’re pleased scientists are piecing together the complex puzzle of what may cause this debilitating condition.”