Children born in September, October and November contract more illnesses than those born in May, according to a study.
This is news that should delight Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, young parents of little Charlotte: better to be born in May than in October. 55 diseases are linked to the month of birth, according to a study from Columbia University (New York, United States). Its authors publish the results in the Journal of American Medical Informatics Association. Depending on the time of year, the risk of illness varies completely.
A mathematical model scrutinized the medical records of 749,000 people born between 1900 and 2000 in New York City. Of the 1,668 diseases examined, 55 are linked to the month of birth. They range from simple angina to congestive heart failure, including venereal disease and bruises.
Overall, children born in May and July are quite protected. Those born in early fall (September, October, November), on the other hand, are at higher risk for disease. But the different diseases do not have the same influence depending on the month of birth: if they are cardiovascular, they tend to affect people born in March-April. Respiratory disorders are more frequent in children from October-November, those of reproduction or neurological in November.
Dr. Nick Tatonetti / Columbia University Medical Center
“You don’t have to worry too much about these results, because although we have found significant associations, the overall risk is not very high,” says Dr. Nicholas Tatonetti, lead author of the study. The risk related to the month of birth is relatively minor when compared to influential variables such as diet or exercise. “
Moreover, to clarify the influence of the month of birth on the risk of disease, the researchers planned to reproduce the algorithm in other cities in the United States.
.
