United States: Research shows that infants who spend safe time in the summer sun would develop better outcomes when they later develop multiple sclerosis.
New research from February 12 Neurology reveals that pregnancy sun exposure of mothers resulted in better outcomes for their future offspring, as reported by HealthDay.
Protective Power of Sunlight in Early Development
“It is important not to spend too much time in the sun without sun protection. However, greater exposure to the sun has been tied in previous research to a lower risk of developing MS in childhood,” lead study author Dr. Gina Chang, a neurology resident at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, noted.
“It’s encouraging that our study found that greater sun exposure during early development may also be beneficial in helping to reduce disease activity in children who are later diagnosed with MS,” she said in a journal news release.
Study Overview and Findings
Researchers studied 334 participants who developed childhood MS before their fourth enrollment year since starting the study. All participants were between 4 and 21 years old.
The observational period of their symptoms averaged 3.3 years because half the subjects were tracked for durations beyond that point. About 62% of children in the study group experienced multiple sclerosis attacks, which lasted for at least 24 hours between attacks, separated by 30 days without fever or infections.
The participants’ parents or guardians provided responses about the amount of sunlight exposure for their child and mother, as well as clothing choices and sunscreen usage at different stages of their lives.
Children who received 30 minutes or more of daily summer sunlight exposure during infancy experienced a 33% reduction in MS relapse risk after researchers accounted for sunscreen and protective clothing factors.
Long-Term Implications and Future Research
The study determined that exposure to similar levels of sunlight by mothers during their second pregnancy trimester reduced the chances of MS relapses by 32% in their children.
“Our findings suggest that sun exposure in early childhood may have long-lasting benefits on the progression of childhood-onset MS,” Chang said, as reported by HealthDay.
Balancing Sun Exposure and Protection
“Future studies should look at how time in the sun at other time periods before and after MS diagnosis affects disease course, to better guide sun exposure recommendations for children with MS and to help design potential clinical trials,” she added.