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Babies born in May 'most likely to develop MS'
Scotsman.com ^ | December 7, 2004 | ALISON HARDIE

Posted on 12/06/2004 6:20:52 PM PST by Nov3

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.

"It looks like something must be happening very early, either in gestation or around the time of birth, that determines one's subsequent risk of getting MS," Ebers added.

MS occurs when immune system cells attack and destroy the myelin sheath that protects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The cause of the illness is unclear. Scientists believe it may be due to a combination of genetic, dietary and environmental factors.

The illness is rare in Africa and most common in people living in colder countries. Most people are diagnosed with the disorder between the ages of 20-50.

More women than men suffer from MS, which can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms such as tingling, fatigue, loss of balance and slurred speech are intermittent.

Ebers and his colleagues compared birth months of 17,874 patients in Canada and 11,502 in Britain with their unaffected siblings and the general population.

They pooled their findings with data from studies in Denmark and Sweden.

"The risk factors responsible for the effect of timing of birth must vary seasonally and probably interact with development of the central nervous system or immune system, or both," they said in a report published online by the British Medical Journal.

They added that the findings could partly explain the increased risk of MS in second generation Asian and Caribbean migrants to the United Kingdom.

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: atkins; disease; gemini; health; multipleschlerosis; multiplesclerosis; prozacchewables; snakeoil; sunlight; taurus; vitamind
Vitamin D will be found to be the most grave nutritional deficiency of this century. People weren't meant to be in front of TVs all day long. For anyone with drug resistant depression try taking 1 teaspoon per 50 lbs of cod liver oil. It has helped several people I know. (Use Carlsons Lemon Flavored it actually tastes good.)
1 posted on 12/06/2004 6:20:53 PM PST by Nov3
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To: neverdem

For your ping list!


2 posted on 12/06/2004 6:22:39 PM PST by Nov3 ("This is the best election night in history." --DNC chair Terry McAuliffe Nov. 2,2004 8p.m.)
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To: Nov3

Bush to blame! Women and minorities hardest hit!


3 posted on 12/06/2004 6:23:30 PM PST by Coop (In memory of a true hero - Pat Tillman)
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To: Nov3

Interesting article. I was born in February. No one in our MS support group has a May birthday either. I'm more interested in the mononucleosis & MS link.


4 posted on 12/06/2004 6:27:22 PM PST by Magnolia (Pennies a day help keep Liberals at bay.....become a monthly donor!)
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To: Coop
In this case minorities are the hardest hit. The rates of Vitamin D deficiency are far higher in blacks. In one study I read that 20 of the 21 babies in the Tennessee area that had rickets were black. It is truly wrong that blacks are not warned (but that would probably be politically incorrect!)
5 posted on 12/06/2004 6:28:35 PM PST by Nov3 ("This is the best election night in history." --DNC chair Terry McAuliffe Nov. 2,2004 8p.m.)
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To: Magnolia

My sister was born in February and has MS. There is probably several factors involved but if I had MS I would get my D level checked (using the correct test) and run it up.


6 posted on 12/06/2004 6:30:31 PM PST by Nov3 ("This is the best election night in history." --DNC chair Terry McAuliffe Nov. 2,2004 8p.m.)
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To: Nov3

That's a good suggestion Nov3 and I'll look into it. Thanks! Give your sister my best...it's a crummy disease!


7 posted on 12/06/2004 6:32:46 PM PST by Magnolia (Pennies a day help keep Liberals at bay.....become a monthly donor!)
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To: Nov3

May baby speaking, and I don't know anybody with MS.

This "what month" tangent is likely just a coincidence, and it is in our nature to blow non-leads like this one out of proportion whenever a deadly, incurable disease is involved. This is actually a good thing because it helps to demonstrate our humanity and compassion; In a world so increasingly brutal, it is a sign of our love for our fellow man that we could will ourselves into grasping at straws to combat a horrific illness when those invisible straws are the ONLY leads we have.

May God bless those who suffer from MS, AIDS, and cancer of all stripes, and may we find a cure for these killers one day.


8 posted on 12/06/2004 6:47:09 PM PST by RockAgainsttheLeft04 (PUNY FREEPERS: I am the Moderator-- bow down before me and await my orders...)
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To: Nov3; ValerieUSA

:') Since the actual cause of MS is elusive, I try not to worry about these kinds of studies. I have two cousins with MS, one born in January, the other in April (i.e., not May; I'm a May baby), and it used to be thought that there was a genetic proclivity for developing the disease.


9 posted on 12/07/2004 7:59:43 AM PST by SunkenCiv ("All I have seen teaches me trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Emerson)
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Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome;
A Bacterial Etiology?
Dr. Luther E. Lindner
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/6412/MSandCFS.htm


10 posted on 12/07/2004 8:03:01 AM PST by SunkenCiv ("All I have seen teaches me trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Emerson)
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To: Nov3

I agree about vitamin D!! Just this week I've been craving milk. I've gone through a gallon and a half this week alone! Finally realized it's the vitamin D I'm missing. Vitamin D is linked to SAD (Seasonal Depressive Disorder).

Glad I'm a november baby too!


11 posted on 12/07/2004 8:07:13 AM PST by Hoodlum91
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To: Nov3
I cannot speak to the Vitamin D angle, but the birth-date relationship seems to me like a spurious correlation. I'm sure that you could plot the data on an astrological chart and find that one sign or another is accorded a some sort of influence.

I was first diagnosed with MS in 1979; the progressive-remitting variety. I have reached the wheelchair stage. Still alive, though. Sure beats the alternative.

12 posted on 12/07/2004 9:42:45 AM PST by Nicholas Conradin (If you are not disquieted by "One nation under God," try "One nation under Allah.")
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To: Hoodlum91

The vitamin D in milk is fortified in the ergacalciferol form which is not as effective as the natural cholecalciferol form. Here is a good site for info on D.

http://www.cholecalciferol-council.com/index.html


13 posted on 12/07/2004 10:50:31 AM PST by Nov3 ("This is the best election night in history." --DNC chair Terry McAuliffe Nov. 2,2004 8p.m.)
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To: Nicholas Conradin
Vitamin D is actually misnamed. It is more like a hormone. The thought that Vitamin D levels during pregnancy could affect the neurological makeup of the child is not that far a grasp.Vitamin D levels vary in a fairly predictable pattern but there are individual exceptions. A large portion of the population is deficient year round.

Now I think there are a variety of factors for this cruel disease but I would look at the people who have claimed positive results with D supplementation. My sister has seen some positive results.

14 posted on 12/07/2004 10:59:18 AM PST by Nov3 ("This is the best election night in history." --DNC chair Terry McAuliffe Nov. 2,2004 8p.m.)
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