And for plenty of moms, it's a time to celebrate the arrival of their bouncing babies. If you gave birth — or plan to — in the fall, here's what science says you can expect about your little one:
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1. Fall babies weigh less
According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in the United States of America, babies who are conceived between January and May not only gestate, on average, about a week less than their non-fall and winter peers, but they actually weigh less, too. (However, bad news here: Lower birth rate is associated with more birth complications, so it's not always a good thing — although your vagina may be cheering for a smaller baby.)
2. Fall babies live longer
Perhaps due to their moms getting plenty of fresh air, summer sunshine and activity during their non-winter pregnancies, fall babies tend to live longer, according to data from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. A full 160 days more than babies born in the spring, in fact.
3. October babies are more likely to have mothers with low educations
According to statistics of conception month by Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, October babies have, on average, mothers with lower levels of education as compared to other months.
4. October babies might be more likely to be premature
Again, these statistics are based on the month of conception, which surprisingly have a lot of impact on your lifelong health. In Africa, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that October is peak season for premature births because it correlates with malaria infections from high swarms of mosquitos.
5. Fall babies are more athletic
Your little one may as well just start using the hashtag #fitbaby because research shows autumn babies have a head start when it comes to athletics. Although November and September babies are the most fit, October takes second place for babies who score high in cardiorespiratory fitness, strength and lower body power.
6. They're at higher risk of asthma
Although there aren't any really good theories as to why this is the case, one study found that autumn-born babies, who tend to be around 4 months old for the peak of cold and flu season, tend to have higher rates of asthma than their summer-born buddies.