vit d?

amiaspden

The theory I've heard is that it's related to the mother's vitamin D status. So if you are born in the winter, you are less likely to develop MS because your mother was exposed to sunshine whilst pregnant. Those born in the summer are at higher risk, because the critical months of the pregnancy were in the winter so the mother was more likely to be Vitamin D deficient.

Torry_Quine

avogadro wrote: »

That's interesting. I knew MS was almost unheard of in hotter climates, are they theorising it might be linked to low vitamin D now?

They are and it's now suggested that pregnant women take it to help prevent MS in their unborn child. It eems that your early years are the relevant thing for whether you develop MS or not.

Torry_Quine

amiaspden wrote: »

The theory I've heard is that it's related to the mother's vitamin D status. So if you are born in the winter, you are less likely to develop MS because your mother was exposed to sunshine whilst pregnant. Those born in the summer are at higher risk, because the critical months of the pregnancy were in the winter so the mother was more likely to be Vitamin D deficient.

There are two sisters in my family with MS, one was born in April and one in August.

mazza111

They've now discovered it's also common for people with HMS/EDS to have low vit D levels. Don't know if it's cos a lot of them are sat in doors or if they are predisposed to it or not though

Mojisola

amiaspden wrote: »

The theory I've heard is that it's related to the mother's vitamin D status. So if you are born in the winter, you are less likely to develop MS because your mother was exposed to sunshine whilst pregnant. Those born in the summer are at higher risk, because the critical months of the pregnancy were in the winter so the mother was more likely to be Vitamin D deficient.

Torry_Quine wrote: »

There are two sisters in my family with MS, one was born in April and one in August.

No-one is saying that only winter babies will get MS.

Torry_Quine

Mojisola wrote: »

No-one is saying that only winter babies will get MS.

I realise that, it was just an example.

Bennifred

avogadro wrote: »

That's interesting. I knew MS was almost unheard of in hotter climates, are they theorising it might be linked to low vitamin D now?

fluffnutter wrote: »

Or perhaps it's simply that those with northern European heritage are more likely to carry the faulty genes that increase the chances of developing it.

It's a bit like saying sickle cell anaemia is far more likely the closer to the equator you live, therefore it's to do with high levels of vitamin D, when it's actually to do with genetic groups.

I don't know, I'm just suggesting that there may be other reasons for the correlation - Vitamin D may not be causal in the higher incidence of MS away from the equator.

amiaspden wrote: »

The theory I've heard is that it's related to the mother's vitamin D status. So if you are born in the winter, you are less likely to develop MS because your mother was exposed to sunshine whilst pregnant. Those born in the summer are at higher risk, because the critical months of the pregnancy were in the winter so the mother was more likely to be Vitamin D deficient.

I don't think it's as simple as low vitD directly causes MS/other similar conditions, but the researchers are looking at the epigenetics - the possible effects on various genetic pathways of low vitD. The mother's vitD status is definitely being considered as an involvement - my MS consultant (who runs a research group looking at M/vitD)pointed out to me that although I spent a great deal of my childhood in the tropics (lots of vitD!), I was born in Manchester to a British mother - he thinks this has more of a bearing than my own vitD status.

peachyprice

thorsoak wrote: »

In the 1960s, we were encouraged to put babies out in the sun (under a sunshade) wearing only a nappy - for half an hour every day.

Mind you - we were encouraged to put them outside in their prams every day for a nap - winter and summer (wrapped up in winter of course) - the only times we were told to keep them inside was when it was foggy/smoggy!

If you were teleported back to the road we lived in, back to 1966, you would see a big pram on every porch at about midday!

My babies weren't born until the mid 90's, yet I still did this, the summer my boys were born was glorious, they were out in the garden sleeping every day.

The year my DD was born was a bit meh, yet she was still put outside when it was dry.

Far better than them being sealed in double glazed modern homes day in day out.

coolcait

I believe that Scandinavian countries fortify milk - and maybe other staples - with Vitamin D.

As far as I know they also give Vitamin D drops to infants and toddlers - though that may now have been superseded by the Vitamin D fortification programme.

I suppose they are well placed to study the effects of Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of exposure to natural sunlight for a large part of the year.

LondonDiva

I had a bit of a Ted Hutchinson flashback on reading through this thread. Time flies!