Giving birth in the summer means tons of sweet walks with baby in the sunshine. But summer babies don’t just benefit from outside time with Mom when they’re newborns. They may have more good luck later in life, too.
A recent study from the University of Cambridge in the UK found kids born in June, July and August are more likely to be healthier adults. The authors believe it may be because their moms get more sunlight—meaning more vitamin D—during their second trimesters of pregnancy, and the babies themselves get more sun. Plus, we know how good vitamin D is for us—not only does it make for healthy, strong bones and muscles, it also boosts the brain, lungs and heart.
The research, published in the journal Heliyon, looked at growth data for about 450,000 women and men, specifically birth weight, height as adults and the onset of puberty in girls. Summer babies weighed slightly more at birth than those born in the winter (and were less likely to have low birth weights, which can lead to health problems later). Kids with June, July and August birthdays grew taller as adults than infants born at other times—a trait linked in previous studies to living longer, doing better on cognitive tests and earning more.
Summer birthday girls were also more likely to start puberty a bit later than winter babies, which has been associated with overall good health in women.
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