Many scientists have spent years trying to link a baby’s birth date to their health later in life. This approach is often used to explore conditions like autism, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis (MS). However, most connections remain weak because researchers haven’t been able to explain how the season or environment at birth might lead to these diseases.
**Birth Season and Disease**
English researchers are making progress in understanding how a baby’s birth season might impact their health. They have found that babies born in May have more immune cells and lower levels of vitamin D at birth compared to those born in November.
The lead researcher, Sreeram Ramagopalan, believes that low vitamin D levels at birth could increase the risk of multiple sclerosis. He focuses on finding environmental and genetic causes of MS, a disease that damages nerve coverings and affects thinking, movement, and vision.
**Risk of Multiple Sclerosis**
Researchers are studying the connection between vitamin D and birth season partly because MS is more common in areas like Australia, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia, where winter sunlight is limited. Pregnant women with less sun exposure have lower blood levels of vitamin D, which means their babies also have lower vitamin D levels at birth.
Ramagopalan and his team tested blood samples from 100 newborns in London. They discovered that May-born babies had about 20% less vitamin D and around 200% more T cells in their blood compared to November-born babies. They speculate that this T cell imbalance might increase the risk of developing MS later in life. These findings were published in JAMA Neurology.
**The Importance of Vitamin D**
A 2011 Australian study supported these findings, showing that low sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels are risk factors for early MS symptoms, including nerve damage. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is now funding a clinical trial to see if giving MS patients 600 IU or 5,000 IU of vitamin D can slow the disease’s progression.
Vitamin D has been the focus of much recent research, with many scientists believing it can prevent or cure various diseases, including heart disease and cancer. However, authorities in the United States are more cautious, stating there isn’t enough evidence to support these claims yet. They do recommend that adults take vitamin D supplements for overall health, and ongoing research continues to explore its benefits.