Monday, May 28, 2012

Saturday, March 28, 2009 piratebeth asks

Q: Are rubella babies more likely to develop MS? I refer to birth following first trimester Rubella.

Answer This
Answers (1)
Merely Me, Health Guide
3/30/09 6:47pm

This is a really intriguing question and it took me a bit of a search to find anything on this but I finally did!

 

In the Oxford Journals there is an article entitled, Childhood Infections and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis, where the authors state:

 

"Neither age at infection with measles, rubella, varicella, mumps, pertussis and scarlet fever (upper age limit, 14 years) nor the cumulative number of these infections between the ages of 10 and 14 years was associated with the risk of multiple sclerosis. In addition, the risk of multiple sclerosis was not associated with birth order or social class. No clustering of multiple sclerosis in school classes was observed. Our findings suggest that measles, rubella, mumps, varicella, pertussis and scarlet fever, even if acquired late in childhood, are not associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis later in life."

 

I hope this helps some!  Thank you for your question.

 

 

Reply
Answer This

Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media. Remedy Health Media does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.

Ask a Question

Get answers from our experts and community members.

Btn_ask_question_med
View all questions (1954) >
By piratebeth— Last Modified: 12/26/10, First Published: 03/28/09