Study: Fall babies have better chance of reaching 100
Sep 17, 2012, 6:36 AM | Updated: 6:36 am
PHOENIX — A new study said babies born in the fall months have a better chance than those born in other months of reaching 100 years of age.
The University of Chicago studied the data of 1,500 people born between 1880 and 1895 and who lived until 100 or older. A majority of them were born in September, October and November.
The study also pinpointed weather conditions at birth.
“Those months tend to be past the extreme summer heat and before the frigid winter temps,” said Dr. Steve Narang with Cardon Childrens Medical Center.
The study found people born in March, May or July had a 40 percent less chance of topping 100 years of age.
Narang doesn’t discount the report, but said it takes more than the month in which someone is born to determine how long they will live.
“It’s genetics, if we lived in poverty, if we smoked,” he said. “With behavior and genes, you have to put luck in there too.”
Narang said the study is another in a long line of research on the topic.
“To me, this is more of an interesting discussion over coffee with a philosopher,” he said. “Most of it’s about behavior and making the right choices.”
