According to a latest study published in journal Neurology, children who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) fare better if they were exposed to sunlight as infants. The study titled Association Between Sun Exposure and Risk of Relapse in Pediatric-Inset Multiple Sclerosis led by Dr Gina Chang, a neurology resident at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia found that while it is not important to spend too much time under the sun without protection, however greater exposure, within the safe limits to sun shows lower risk of developing MS in childhood. The key here is that this greater exposure must be done during the early stages of development, which benefits the child and also reduces any disease activities that could later be diagnosed as MS.How was the study conducted?It was a small study with 334 kids and young adult between ages 4 to 21 as participants who had developed a childhood form of MS within four years of enrolling in the study. The symptoms were tracked for a median of 3.3 years. This means half were tracked longer. Overall, 62% of the children experienced some form of MS relapse, which was defined as "new or returning symptoms lasting for at least 24 hours and separated by at least 30 days from the last MS attack, without a fever or infection."The parents or the guardian of the participants also filled out questionnaires on how much sunlight the child and mother had gotten at various periods of life. The questionnaire also included the kind of cloth they wore and if they used sunscreen. As per these questionnaire, the data showed that those who got 30 minutes or more of daily summer sunlight in infancy had a 33% lower chance of MS relapse.Other FindingsThe researchers also found that mothers who were exposed to sunlight during their pregnancy, especially during the second trimester of pregnancy, their kids also had a 32% lower risk of MS relapse. “Our findings suggest that sun exposure in early childhood may have long-lasting benefits on the progression of childhood-onset MS,” Chang said. “Future studies should look at how time in the sun at other time periods before and after MS diagnosis affects disease course, to better guide sun exposure recommendations for children with MS and to help design potential clinical trials,” she said.What is MS?As per the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, which includes brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. This system controls everything we do. Because of the disease, it disrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body. Common symptoms include:FatigueMemory difficultiesMood changesMobility issuesNumbnessPainTinglingVision ImpairmentMS can also affect different areas of the body and the symptoms depend on where inflammation and damage occurs at any specific time. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke notes that MS most commonly begins in young adults, between ages 20 to 40. What happens in MS?The immune system attacks myelin in the central nervous system, which is a mixture of protein and fatty acids that makes up the protective cover known as the myelin sheath that coats nerve fibers, known as axons. This is what gives the brain's white matter its appearance and also helps with communication between neurons. This can also impact spinal cord and the optic nerves.