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Is season of birth associated with multiple sclerosis?
Author(s) -
Salemi G.,
Ragonese P.,
Aridon P.,
Reggio A.,
Nicoletti A.,
Buffa D.,
Conte S.,
Savettieri G.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2000.90336.x
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , demography , season of birth , population , medicine , sicilian , pediatrics , psychiatry , linguistics , philosophy , sociology
Objective – To compare the monthly distribution of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients' births with that of the Sicilian population. Background – Studies on the association between season of birth and risk of MS are scanty and controversial. Design and methods – Archives of the Institute of Neuropsychiatry of the Universities of Palermo and Catania were searched up to 1995 for definite MS patients (McDonald & Halliday criteria). The monthly distribution of MS patients' births ( N =965) was compared with that of the Sicilian population ( N =5,608,307). Results – The distribution of births among MS patients compared with the general population was not different when tested by the ξ 2 statistic ( P >0.25). The Hewitt's non‐parametric test for seasonality showed an excess of births between June and November among MS patients ( P =0.004). Conclusion – A different pattern of MS patients' births is observed in Sicily and in Northern countries.