Babies Born In June, July & August Are Heavier At Birth And Taller As Adults

[Arthur Little]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...er-adults.html

... NONSENSE!

Whilst I was born during the latter half of September - weighing [I think] an average 81/2 lbs - I reached 6ft.1" in adolescence.

Whereas, my daughter - whose birth occurred midway through August - topped the scales at a mere 5lb, 3 oz ... ... understandably, I suppose, in the light of her mother's petite, scarcely 5ft frame.

Therefore, IMO, an individual's weight and height ... along with a whole gamut of other features and characteristics ... seem to be generally - though not always - determined by one's genetic inheritance.

[grahamw48]

I was born mid-September...9lbs...6'1" +.

My first son, born late September...7.5 lbs. 5'9".

My second son born last August... 8lbs...height, a bit early to know.

(Both to Filipina mothers).

[Arthur Little]

I was born mid-September...9lbs...6'1" +.

My first son, born late September...7.5 lbs. 5'9".

There you go, Graham ... further proof that challenges the Daily Mail article. Plus ...

My second son born last August... 8lbs...height, a bit early to know.

(Both to Filipina mothers).

... there is a good chance Geoff will grow up to be as tall as his dad.

[Michael Parnham]

You guys must have been well informed to know your weight at birth, no one ever mentioned it to me, my life seems a mystery to me. As a child I never knew my mother until I was ten year old as I lived with my Grandma the first ten years of my life, but the bits I did pick up on when living with my mother was that she was carrying me up to being 7months pregnant whilst doing competition ballroom dancing at Hammersmith Palais, also as a very small child used to play with Caron Gardner who turned out to become a famous model and film actress of the fifties and sixties. All through my life was never told my mothers or step fathers birthdays so I never knew how old they were, they are just little things that niggle me even today in fact all I did know were their names, I do know my sisters birthday but I don't know my two brothers birthdays or how old they are, I know my sisters birthday because I was in the house whilst she was being born and the midwife gave me the afterbirth wrapped in newspaper to put on the fire then she asked me to make her a cup of tea. Good old days!

[grahamw48]

That's rather sad Michael.

There are places where you can dig up the records which will hopefully shine some light on your 'mysterious' past.

The hospital where you were born will probably have a record of your birth weight, for instance. Finding where those records are now located will be fun though (but probably not an impossible task).

Have a search on the internet. Facebook 'groups' can be quite useful too.

[Michael Parnham]

That's rather sad Michael.

There are places where you can dig up the records which will hopefully shine some light on your 'mysterious' past.

The hospital where you were born will probably have a record of your birth weight, for instance. Finding where those records are now located will be fun though (but probably not an impossible task).

Have a search on the internet. Facebook 'groups' can be quite useful too.

This is what I do know Graham, born in Lincoln, lived in London and I only know that because my mother showed me a photo on the front cover of Blighty magazine when I was about seventeen years old of Caron Gardner and told me then that as a small child we used to play together, when I asked questions I was told "ask no questions get no lies" also "speak when spoken to and not until" "children should be seen and not heard" also "do as I say and not as I do" and "don't speak until your spoken to" I find it quite funny in a way because when I'm in company with others I tend to talk a lot, I really miss having some one to have a good old rabbit with like a mate or a member of family because I'm sure it makes up for my childhood days.

[Doc Alan]

Height is indeed more influenced by genetic than environmental factors - weight depends more on the environment ( nutrition and diet ).


The study quoted in the " Daily Mail " certainly involved many ( 450,000 ) participants ; they were recruited from the " UK Biobank study " of half a million 40-69 years olds registered with the NHS. It excluded individuals of non-white ancestry or born outside the UK and Republic of Ireland.


The analysis - after written consent - was from questionnaires including " recall of birthweight " and past or current diseases in answer to the question " Has a doctor ever told you that you have had any of the following conditions ? ".



The study - as originally published - did claim " robust associations " between " season of birth, birth weight, pubertal timing, adult body size and educational attainment ".


Explanation(s) for these associations were less certain - giving " support for the hypothesis that season of birth has on childhood growth and development " and " while other mechanisms may contribute to these associations, these findings are consistent with a possible role of in utero vitamin D exposure " ( depending on amount of sunlight ).


Clearly Arthur, Graham, and Michael - and also many commenting on the " Daily Mail " report - have different experiences. Even if this Cambridge University observational study is confirmed by other work, as the findings are not fully explained, they don't appear at this stage to be worthwhile noting for family planning by future parents .

[Arthur Little]

Thanks for your insightful input, Alan ... I knew I could rely on you to set the record straight!