An English journal has published an article saying in the northern hemisphere being born in May is linked to a greater incidence of multiple sclerosis.
The Canadian Collaborative Study Group team, in research summarized in Tuesday's edition of the British Journal of Medicine, also found being born in November carries the lowest risk of getting MS.
While the cause of the phenomenon is unknown, researchers suspect complex interactions between genes and the environment before or shortly after birth may help explain this link.
Their study involved 17,874 Canadian patients and 11,502 British patients with multiple sclerosis. Data on month of birth, along with detailed information on demographics and medical and family history, were collected and analyzed. The comparison groups were both from the general population and from the unaffected brothers and sisters of those with MS.
In Canada, significantly fewer people with MS were born in November compared with controls. Similarly in Britain, fewer people with MS had been born in November and significantly more had been born in May. The number born in December was also significantly lower.
© Copyright 2004 by United Press International
