title: Congenital abnormalities and multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a strong maternal parent-of-origin effect in determining susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). One hypothesis is that an abnormal intrauterine milieu leading to impaired fetal development could plausibly also result in increased susceptibility to MS. A possible marker for this intrauterine insult is the presence of a non-fatal congenital anomaly.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated whether or not congenital anomalies are associated with MS in a population-based cohort. We identified 7063 MS index cases and 2655 spousal controls with congenital anomaly information from the Canadian Collaborative Project on Genetic Susceptibility to MS (CCPGSMS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of congenital anomalies were compared between index cases and controls. No significant differences were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Congenital anomalies thus do not appear to be associated with MS. However, we did not have complete data on types and severity of congenital anomalies or on maternal birth history and thus this study should be regarded as preliminary.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
authors.forename: Sreeram V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Ramagopalan
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guimond
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Criscuoli
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dyment
authors.forename: Sarah-Michelle
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Orton
authors.forename: Irene M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Yee
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ebers
authors.forename: Dessa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sadovnick
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics*