No Effect of Preterm Birth on the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis: A Population Based Study
Genetic and environmental factors have important roles in multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility. A clear parent of origin effect has been shown in several populations, perhaps resulting from factors operating during gestation.
Preterm birth (birth at less than 37 weeks gestational age) has been shown to result in long-term health problems including impaired neurological development. Here, in a population-based cohort, we investigate whether preterm birth increases the risk to subsequently develop MS.
Methods: We identified 6585 MS index cases and 2509 spousal controls with preterm birth information from the Canadian Collaborative Project on Genetic Susceptibility to MS.
Rates of individuals born preterm were compared for index cases and controls.
Results: There were no significant differences between cases and controls with respect to preterm births.
370 (5.6%) MS index cases and 130 (5.2%) spousal controls were born preterm, p=0.41.
Conclusions: Preterm birth does not appear to contribute to MS aetiology. Other factors involved in foetal and early development need to be explored to elucidate the mechanism of the increased risk conferred by the apparent maternal effect.
Author: Sreeram Ramagopalan, William Valdar, David Dyment, Gabriele DeLuca, Sarah-Michelle Orton, Irene Yee, Maria Criscuoli, George Ebers and Dessa Sadovnick
Credits/Source: BMC Neurology 2008, 8:30
Published on: 2008-08-01
Copyright by the authors listed above - made available via BioMedCentral (Open Access). Please
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