The month we’re born could impact our long-term health

Well for those of us reading this, there’s little we could have done to ensure we were born in the ‘best month’.

But it could be interesting for those planning to have a baby as to when would be the best time to do so judging by the time of year and what health benefits or disadvantages might come with it. Researchers at the University of Alicante in Spain wanted to try and discover whether the month we are born in really does make a difference to our health. They mapped 30,000 people’s birth month on to 27 chronic illnesses ranging from asthma to heart disease. Testing women’s birth separately to men’s, their results showed that women born in July were 27 percent more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure and were also shown to have a 40 percent increased risk of incontinence. Women born in June had a 33 percent less chance of suffering from migraines while men born in the same month were 34 percent less likely to suffer from depression and 22 percent less likely to be diagnosed with lower back pain. It also showed that men born in August had nearly twice the risk of asthma compared to those born towards the start of the year. Those born in September seem to have done the best out of the lot, as the study showed these individuals had the least chance of being diagnosed with a chronic illness. According to the Irish Times, Professor José Antonio Quesada, an author of the report said,

“The month of birth may behave as an indicator of periods of early exposure factors such as exposure to ultraviolet rays, vitamin D, temperature, seasonal exposure to viruses and allergies which may affect the development of the uterus and neonate in the first months of life.”

However, the study is not without its critics. According to the Independent, an ambassador for the Royal Statistical Society, Dr Robert Cuffe said,

“Astrology has never made for great science. If you look at 12 months for each of 27 conditions and two genders, you’re guaranteed to see chance patterns that appear amazing.” “Many of the conditions identified here are different to the ones identified in a similar study two years ago, which you wouldn’t expect if these were real associations.”

Hmm... we're not too sure we'll be taking many desperate measures just yet when it comes to aiming for the perfect month to have a baby and we may be waiting a lengthy amount of time for further insight. Nonetheless it has us intrigued.