Babies born in spring ‘more likely to develop anorexia nervosa’
April 28th, 2011 - 2:19 pm ICT by ANILondon, April 28 (ANI): Researchers have said that babies born in spring are slightly more likely to develop anorexia nervosa, while those born in the autumn have a lower risk.
The researchers analysed data from four previous studies including 1,293 people with anorexia.
The researchers found an “excess of anorexia nervosa births” between March and June - for every seven anorexia cases expected, there were in fact eight.
There were also fewer than expected cases in September and October.
“A number of previous studies have found that mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression are more common among those born in the spring - so this finding in anorexia is perhaps not surprising,” BBC quoted Dr Lahiru Handunnetthi, one of the report’s authors, at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, as saying.
“However, our study only provides evidence of an association. Now we need more research to identify which factors are putting people at particular risk,” Handunnetthi added.
The report suggested that seasonal changes in temperature, sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels, maternal nutrition and infections as “strong candidate factors”.
The study has been published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. (ANI)
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Tags: anorexia nervosa, autumn, babies, bbc, bipolar, births, british journal of psychiatry, human genetics, journal of psychiatry, london, major depression, maternal nutrition, mental illnesses, risk, schizophrenia, seasonal changes, sunlight exposure, vitamin d, wellcome trust centre