A nationwide survey of the influence of month of birth on the risk of developing multiple sclerosis in Sweden and Iceland.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies have shown that the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with season of birth with a higher proportion of MS patients being born in spring. However, this relationship has recently been questioned and may be due to confounding factors. Our aim was to assess the influence from season or month of birth on the risk of developing MS in Sweden and Iceland. Information about month of birth, gender, and phenotype of MS for patients born 1940-1996 was retrieved from the Swedish MS registry (SMSR), and their place of birth was retrieved from the Swedish Total Population Registry (TPR). The corresponding information was retrieved from medical journals of Icelandic MS patients born 1981-1996. The control groups consisted of every person born in Sweden 1940-1996, their gender

SUBMITTER: Eliasdottir O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5760596 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature