By VETTAPHARMA reporter: What if the origins of adult neurological disease extend back to the earliest stages of life? A large population-based study published in JAMA Neurology examined whether pregnancy outcomes influence the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) decades later, prompting a broader reconsideration of when MS risk truly begins.
The study investigated whether complications during pregnancy and birth—preterm birth, being born small or large for gestational age (SGA and LGA), maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), placental abruption, and maternal diabetes—affect the likelihood of adult-onset MS in offspring. Researchers analyzed data from over one million individuals born in Norway between 1967 and 1989, with follow-up extending into adulthood. Offspring were observed from January 2009 onward for the development of MS. The cohort leveraged detailed, registry-linked birth and maternal health data, enabling robust assessment of prenatal exposures and long-term neurological outcomes.
This population-based closed cohort study used prospectively collected registry data. Maternal health and birth characteristics were recorded at the time of pregnancy and delivery, while MS diagnoses in offspring were later identified through national patient and disease registries.
The study suggests that the risk of adult-onset MS may begin as early as the prenatal period. Being born large for gestational age (LGA) and exposure to maternal diabetes were associated with an increased risk of MS, whereas being small for gestational age (SGA) appeared protective. These findings indicate that prenatal factors, alongside established childhood risk factors such as high body mass index and diabetes, may play a significant role in determining long-term neurological health.
While genetics remain central to MS risk, this study underscores the concept that pregnancy represents a critical window for neurological and immune development. Adverse fetal growth conditions may influence immune regulation in ways that persist for decades, shaping disease susceptibility later in life. The authors suggest that future studies should explore how neonatal growth and adiposity, as well as childhood body composition, may influence the risk of adult-onset MS.
Source Credit:
- Wolfova, K., Engdahl, B. L., Horn, J., Riley, C. S., Bello, N. A., Miller, E. C., & Tom, S. E. (2026). Maternal pregnancy outcomes and offspring risk of adult-onset multiple sclerosis. JAMA Neurology. Click here
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