Can Your Date of Birth Determine Your Destiny?

Scientific studies say that a person’s birth month can affect health, lifespan, success in education and even personality. Science proved long ago that predictions based on astrology have no basis. But new studies show that the time of birth can have a lasting effect on a person’s life.

Studies show that people born in autumn tend to live longer. Research by Mr. Leonid Gavrilov of the University of Chicago found that people born in autumn are about 40 percent more likely to live to 100 than people born in March. He said: “People who do not know about the recent scientific studies on this subject are still doubtful. They mix these studies up with astrology.”

Mr. Sriram Ramagopalan of the University of Oxford said large studies in recent times have built strong proof on this subject. His study covered about 60 thousand patients in England. It found that people born in winter and spring have a higher risk of schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder.

The season of birth can also affect eyesight and allergies. People born in winter are least likely to have severe short sight. People born in summer are also less likely to have allergies. Studies also show that people born in autumn are more likely than those born in spring to become professional baseball players. Scientists are looking at several possible causes. These include seasonal infections, diet, allergy causing substances, the amount and strength of daylight, and the level of vitamin D in the body.

The body makes vitamin D when it gets sunlight. It is essential for healthy bones and for the growth of the immune system and the nervous system. Studies on animals show that serious nerve problems can appear if the mother takes too little vitamin D during pregnancy.

A study in Denmark also found a link. People who had the lowest level of vitamin D in their bodies at birth had a higher risk of schizophrenia later in life. However, Mr. Ramagopalan thinks some of these gaps could be reduced in future. One step could be to give vitamin D supplements to babies born in winter.

He said genes and the environment in which a person grows up have the biggest effect on life. Even so, scientific studies are showing more clearly that the season of birth and other hidden factors may help shape health and lifespan from the time of conception.

Source: BBC