While others find it easy to conceive, getting pregnant could be a challenge to some. Well, for those who wanted to take the path of motherhood, better avoid the month of June, study says.
According to the study done by researchers from Indiana University, an analysis of over 270,000 pregnancies between 2004 and 2009 revealed that the time of the year the children were conceived have a significant effect on the success of birth rates, Science Alert reports.
Dr. Paul Winchester of Indiana University revealed that they found a lot of things that are seasonal and disturbing. They discovered significant seasonal differences in reproduction. For instance, Valentine's Day is the least likely time to conceive, whereas Christmas season is a positive time, The Telegraph has learned.
What's in June that women who want to get pregnant should avoid it? "June is a toxic month. The June effect was something that we saw develop at a very early stage. White mothers have lowest survival rates in June and significantly shorter pregnancies, with premature babies," Winchester said.
He stressed that this is not accidental but may have a biological basis. Perhaps, the relevant factors include the levels of Vitamins D and pesticides.
"If you want to avoid a birth defect or a premature birth then it might be worth avoiding June. Other studies have shown that spina bifida incidence and sudden infant death peaks in June," he added.
A research published earlier this month by Cambridge University found out that summer babies are likely to be taller and stronger. It is thought that expectant moms absorb more of health-boosting Vitamin D from the sunshine during summer and spring in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy, giving their offspring a head-start.
Vitamin D is necessary for maintaining healthy bones and is thought to be an effective agent to protect one from cancer, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Stuart Lavery of Imperial College also agreed that the timing of pregnancy has a big impact on the health of babies. He stressed that there are several examples that fit into the Darwinian model, for instance, when babies are born to have the best chance of survival e.g. those not born in winter.
The researchers learned that the best time to plan a family is December. Children conceived at this time of the year have a better chance to be born healthy. Moreover, December conceptions also result in three extra surviving babies per every 200 pregnancies.
So, for women out there who is eager to start a family, consider the time of the year when planning to conceive. Also, check out the following short video to learn how a baby develops during pregnancy.
