Winter babies face disadvantages

Published: Jan. 8, 2009 at 12:55 PM

NOTRE DAME, Ind., Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Winter babies are, on average, less educated, less intelligent, less healthy and lower paid than people born in other seasons, U.S. researchers said.

Kasey Buckles and Daniel Hungerman of the University of Notre Dame point out that a large body of previous research consistently has found that people born in December, January and February face socioeconomic disadvantages.

Buckles and Hungerman analyzed U.S. census data and birth certificates to determine if the typical woman giving birth in winter is any different from the typical woman giving birth the rest of the year.

The study, published as a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, found babies born in the winter are more likely to have mothers who are unmarried, who are teenagers, or who lack a high school diploma.

The researchers said possible explanations include summer's high temperatures may inhibit sperm production or winter births occur nine moths after the end of prom season.

The researchers also noted women say winter is the least desirable season in which to give birth and the researchers suggest wealthier and more educated women are better able to time their pregnancies.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
Bernanke on bubbles: Prepare for the pop (3 min)
Brothers living in cave inherit fortune (3 min)
U.S. markets close mixed Wednesday (16 min)
UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News (17 min)
Scientists ID sharks from their bite marks (19 min)
Parliament runs out of toilet paper (29 min)
Couple make porn to pay for wedding (33 min)
fark
We're going to need a lot more popcorn: Sickout and bomb threat after MSCO officer goes to jail
Guy facing 3 years in prison for putting spy-cam in ladies' washroom at work. And all he got from...
San Francisco mayor goes to Bangalore, India to talk to Amsterdam mayor about Seoul, South Korea...
Greek ship hijacked by pirates reaches Somali coast. Accomodations for captive crew members expected...
Hottie claims heroin drove her to crime spree while she worked as Queen's royal harpist (pic)
Now that we know that lonlieness is contagious, tips to avoid it include not having any empty chairs...