Ways your birth month can impact your health

Compiled from Reader’s Digest and Men’s Health magazines, discover how your birthday could play a role in your health

Can the month of your birth have an impact on the rest of your life? As bizarre as it sounds, the evidence is mounting up. Your birthday also dictates your zodiac sign … who cares — but new scientific research suggests that it may also affect various aspects of your wellbeing later in life. As compiled from Reader’s Digest and Men’s Health magazines, discover how your birthday could play an intriguing role in everything from your risk of nearsightedness to melanoma, science suggests.

Winter Babies

(December, January, February)

Left-handedness: Men born during the chillier season are more likely to be lefties as compared to those born during other times of the year, according to latest Austrian and German research. Soaring levels of testosterone in utero can make left-handedness more likely — and longer periods of daylight during the summers can trigger a generous testosterone flow at a crucial time during fetal development when handedness might be influenced.

Premature birth: Babies that were conceived in May, and typically born around February are 10 %more likely to arrive prematurely than those conceived during other seasons, a 2013 study found. Expectant mothers’ exposure to flu in the last trimester may be the reason why. Turns out, pregnant women should get vaccinated for flu or try to prevent getting inflicted from the dreaded winter bug since it could up the chances of a premature birth.



Spring babies

(March, April, May)

Melanoma: Surprisingly, spring-born individuals have a 21 %  greater chance of developing melanoma than those born in the fall, reported a 2014 study in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Exposure to UV light rays during the first few months of life may affect the body’s susceptibility to developing melanoma as an adult. That said though, lifelong habits, such as using sunscreen all-year-round and wearing sunglasses can, in fact, go a long way towards protecting you against all forms of skin cancer. 

Early menopause: In a study conducted in Italy, nearly 3,000 postmenopausal women, those born in spring time were more likely to reach menopause just before the age of 49, and those born in the autumn or fall were likelier to enter menopause about over a year or so later. Women born in fall, generally have a greater number of eggs, as compared to ones born in the other months.

Summer babies

(June, July, August)

Nearsightedness: Okay, this is a little blinding! Looks like Summer darlings are more prone than others to need glasses for distance, found a study in the journal Ophthalmology. This may be because of the amount of light babies are exposed to right before and after they’re born. Research indicates that this can affect normal eye development in infants, making them more susceptible to the eye condition. 



Mood swings: Individuals born during the toasty summer months are more likely to have “cyclothermic temperament,” or a rapid fluctuation between miserable and happy moods and moments. Light and temperature exposure during sunny days may affect brain chemicals that regulate mental health, resulting in wavering mood swings and sudden outbursts. Just to be kind — I’m sure that their other fabulous qualities help overlook the trait.

Fall babies

(September, October, November) 

Better physical fitness: A study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that school-age boys born in November scored 10% points higher on tests of cardiorespiratory fitness, handgrip strength, and lower-body power compared with those born in April. Fall babies’ mothers are pregnant in the summer, when vitamin D levels surge exceedingly high. Vitamin D affects fetal physical development — explaining the fall kids’ superior physical strength. 

Food allergies: People with their birthdays falling around autumn time were 30 to 90% more likely to develop food allergies than those born in other seasons, according to Johns Hopkins University research. So, if you are lactose intolerant, have peanut allergies or gluten intolerance, it might have something to do with the month of your birth. Babies born around fall are exposed to less skin-protecting vitamin D earlier in life, which could make them more likely to develop sensitivity to food allergens through the skin.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2015.

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