The height of people appears to depend on the season of their birth. Jan Wohlfahrt and his team from the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark, studied 1,166,206 children born between 1973 and 1994. They found that children born in April were almost a quarter of centimetre taller -- and also heavier -- than those born in winter. The winter-borns stayed slightly longer in the womb. The researchers attribute these changes to differences in the prenatal exposure as well as the influence of the environment after birth ( The Lancet , Vol 352, No 6712).
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.