Vitamin D deficiency link to multiple sclerosis in children

Compelling evidence that children with early symptoms of multiple sclerosis have low levels of vitamin D has emerged from a study by scientists in Canada.

The study of children suffering the first occurrence of the disease - often eye or sight problems - has found that those with insufficient amounts of the vitamin are far more likely to develop a full-blown case of MS than those who have normal levels.

The research in Canada follows evidence, revealed in The Times last week, that Scotland's poor health record has close links to vitamin D deficiency, which is caused by lack of exposure to sunshine. Scotland - in particular Orkney and Shetland, which get only a quarter of all available sunlight - is the world's hotspot for MS, closely followed by Canada.

The Canadian study raises the possibility that simply by taking a supplement every day from infancy it might be possible to prevent or slow the progression of the debilitating auto-immune disease, which at present has no definitive cause and is incurable.