Christmas babies get a rough deal, don’t they? It’s bad enough having to share your birthday month with the nation’s favorite holiday, but it’s cold and dreary to boot!
Well, science has an early birthday present for all the December babies out there; apparently, you’re pretty special after all.
December is the rarest month for birthdays, says USA Today, particularly if you were born on Dec. 24 or Dec. 25. “Rarity” is a weak condolence, we know, but you’ve only torn off the first layer of wrapping paper! Science has way more in store for you.
A plethora of scientific studies suggest that it might actually be the January to November babies who drew the short straw. Here are seven reasons to back that up.
1. December babies are “morning people”
Maybe it’s because they were born into a world of short days and long nights, but research published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine has found that people born in December are more predisposed to being “early to bed, early to rise,” types. You won’t see many December babies rubbing their eyes by the filter coffee machine. It’s an enviable trait.
2. They are nicer than the rest of us
Step up your game, summer babies! The dead-of-winter kids have picked you to the post in the niceness competition. A study presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (try saying that quickly) asked 366 university students to describe their temperaments. Summer babies tended to experience mood changes, but winter-born babes were more emotionally stable.
December babies, in particular, had fewer grumpy tantrums than their summer-born counterparts.
3. They have better immunity to major diseases
Now this is one to be celebrated! If you are, or have, a December-born child, then researchers at the Colombia University Department of Medicine think that these babes are less likely than others to contract most major diseases.
The study gathered records for 1.75 million patients born between 1900 and 2000 who were treated at their institution. They correlated 1,668 diseases and birth months alongside factors such as diet and exercise, and December babies came out on top.
4. They are destined to live longer
While December babies may never be able to enjoy birthday barbecues or sun-drenched pool parties on their special day, they do have a trump card. They are likely to live the longest!
The Journal of Ageing Research referenced a German study that found that people born in December have a “significantly higher risk of surviving up to age 105-plus” compared to midsummer babies. Sure, it’s a little more walking frame than inflatable raft, but it’s something!
5. December baby boys are more likely to be left-handed
According to PsychCentral, psychologists at the University of Vienna have discovered that boys born between the months of October and February are much more likely to be left-handed than other babies. They still don’t know exactly why, but let’s not unravel a perfectly good credential; left-handedness is rare!
December babies, we’ve got you covered.
6. They have natural athletic prowess
Babies born in the winter months have more natural athletic capabilities than their peers according to a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine. It’s all down to vitamin D.
The mothers of December babies are exposed to higher levels of vitamin D during the summer months of their pregnancy, which, according to Healthline, is imperative for normal growth and the development of healthy bones and joints. So the next time someone overtakes you on the cross country track, ask them when their birthday is. If nothing else, it might just put them off their stride (and give you a chance to catch up!).
7. They are more likely to go into ... dentistry?
Believe it or not! Researchers from the Office of National Statistics have found a statistical link between a person’s month of birth and certain professions, reports the Mirror. December babies are the most likely to go into, of all things, dentistry.
So chin up, December babies; you’re more likely to live longer, rise with the birds, win races, and earn big bucks as a medical professional! That has to be some consolation for always having your birthday gifts delivered to a soundtrack of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
You’re as unique as the snowflakes that fell the day you were born.
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