Babies conceived on Valentine’s Day are the least likely to suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, a leading charity has revealed. Shift.ms says that women whose pregnancies span the summer months absorb greater vitamin D from a stronger sun which research shows has a positive impact on immune system development.
It means, the charity says, November-born babies are far less likely to have the chronic condition compared to those born in May.
Affecting nearly 100,000 people in the UK, MS is the most common disabling neurological condition for young adults today and Shift.ms is campaigning for greater awareness of the crippling nerve condition.
George Pepper, founder of Shift.ms and diagnosed with MS nine years ago, said: ‘Our charity is aimed at young people and the forum is full of comments about how starting a family is a worry. MS is a very uncertain condition to live with, no two cases are the same and it can impact lives on completely different scales.
‘We hope these findings will help reduce the risk for future generations and gives an excuse to have an enjoyable Valentine’s Day.
Researchers are now calling for pregnant women to be given vitamin D supplements to cut cases of the disease – an issue especially relevant to British women who absorb less sunlight than those nearer the equator.
It is already known that MS cases are higher in countries like Britain which are further away from the equator with relatively low sunlight levels.
Diabetes, asthma and life-threatening heart disease in babies are also linked to low levels of vitamin D in early life.
Dr Sreeram Ramagopalan, of Queen Mary University of London, Blizard Institute, who conducted the biggest study of its kind on the relationship of vitamin D and MS in 2011, told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘Around 90 per cent of women are vitamin D deficient during the winter months which means pregnant women are especially at risk.’
Dr Ramagopalan said the notion that vitamin D deficiency contributed to MS was first aired in the 1960s.
‘It was laughed at’ he said. ‘No one could believe a simple vitamin would have this sort of impact. It is only by consistent replication of studies showing a link that we can say it is a genuine one.
‘We believe the Government should get behind this and tell midwives and pregnant women that taking supplements can have health benefits for the baby’ he said.
Mailonline
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