Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19333127›Full record

ArticleEpidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)2009

Prenatal and perinatal factors and risk of multiple sclerosis.

Hannah Gardener, Kassandra L Munger, Tanuja Chitnis, Karin B Michels, Donna Spiegelman, Alberto Ascherio

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 84 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Maternal diabetes as a prenatal risk factor for multiple sclerosis in offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
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  16. Elevated concentration of C-reactive protein is associated with pregnancy-related co-morbidities but not with relapse activity in multiple sclerosis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2015
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  18. Childhood body mass index and multiple sclerosis risk: a long-term cohort study.Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) · 2013
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Hannah GardenerDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. hgardener@med.miami.edu
Kassandra L Munger
Tanuja Chitnis
Karin B Michels
Donna Spiegelman
Alberto Ascherio
Harvard University · USBrigham and Women's Hospital · USMassachusetts Department of Public Health · US

Funding

Training Program in Psychiatric Genetics and Translational ResearchT32MH017119 · NIMH · HARVARD UNIVERSITY (SCH OF PUBLIC HLTH) · PI KARESTAN C KOENEN, Jukka-Pekka Onnela · 1985 to 2026
$8.9M
NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH017119NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH17119
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA potential role of prenatal and perinatal exposures in autoimmunity has been hypothesized, but few studies have examined the relation between various prenatal and perinatal factors and the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

methodsThe study population included participants in the Nurses' Health Studies--2 prospective cohorts that together comprise 238,381 female nurses, who self-reported exposure to prenatal and perinatal factors. In addition, 35,815 nurses' mothers participated by providing detailed information regarding experiences surrounding their daughter's birth. The following prenatal and perinatal factors were studied in relation to MS: fetal growth, birth season, preterm birth, mode of delivery, maternal weight gain, medical conditions, medication use, diethylstilbestrol exposure, prenatal health care, maternal activity level, maternal obstetric history, parental age, and prenatal and childhood passive smoke exposure.

resultsThe sample included 723 confirmed MS cases, including 383 with diagnosis after reporting prenatal and perinatal factors. Few associations were observed. These included an increased risk among women whose mothers reported late initiation of prenatal care (after the first trimester) (27 cases; rate ratio = 1.6 [95% confidence interval = 1.0-2.4]), diabetes during pregnancy (2 cases; 10 [2.5-42]), and maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity (20 cases; 1.7 [1.0-2.7]). Results also suggested a possible increase in incident MS risk among women with prenatal diethylstilbestrol exposure (9 cases; 1.8 [0.93-3.5]).

conclusionsThis study provides modest support for a role of prenatal factors in MS risk. The results should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited statistical power, potential for exposure misclassification, and possibility of chance findings.

Indexed as

Perinatal CarePrenatal CareAdultAutoimmunityCohort StudiesFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMaternal ExposureMiddle AgedMultiple SclerosisNursesRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited States

Identifiers

PMID19333127
PMCPMC3132937
OpenAlexW2002445469

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.