According to the grapevine, Christmas season is not only a season of giving and sharing BUT ALSO the best season to try getting pregnant. Andrew Gregory of Mirror UK advises couples to try to conceive at Christmas since it is when chance for a healthy baby is best.
US experts studied 270,000 pregnancies that occurred from 2004 to 2009 and found significant differences in the percentage of healthy babies born in different months of the year. Study shows that women who conceived in December were more probable to give birth to a healthy baby than women who conceived in any other month.
According to Daily Mail, 52 million pregnancies were analyzed for 12 years and resulted to a conclusion that December conceptions had the highest birth rates.
Paediatrician Dr. Paul Winchester, the leader of the US research team, further explains that mothers who conceive in December or January receive high levels of sunshine at a later phase of their pregnancy (i.e. spring and summer months). Because of this, pregnant mothers absorb more health-boosting Vitamin D in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters, giving their babies advantage. Vitamin D is vital and known for building and maintaining healthy bones.
December seems even more perfect for pregnant women as Dr. Winchester adds that September is indeed an ideal time to give birth. September is when foods are traditionally harvested and weather is still warm. This gives a favourable environment for a baby to grow stronger and ready before the coldest months.
On the other hand, Winchester also warns couples to avoid the "toxic month" June when trying for a baby. Studies have shown that spina bifida incidences, a spinal cord defect among babies, and sudden infant deaths peak in June.
Scientists at the annual American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting say that high levels of pesticides are sprayed on crops during the summer thus, pregnant mothers get 'loaded' with chemicals, causing birth defects. It must also be noted that Vitamin levels are relatively lower during January or February.
