Birth Month Linked to Disease Risk, Study Finds

We may have thought that health studies and astrology have no chances of meeting at all, since both are on the extreme ends of the spectrum as far as scientific basis are concerned. But a new study from Columbia University Medical Center has somehow brought that gap a bit closer, if not entirely in the same placement.

It was revealed, according to a report from the Huffington Post, that there is a link between birth months and diseases that usually come up among people.

The study findings were gathered from the health records of 1.7 million New York residents, which were then compared to 1,688 diseases. They were narrowed down to 55 diseases, which were significantly correlated to birth months, as stated by the Daily Mail.

"The great thing about working in science is that scientists are incredibly open-minded people -- as long as you have the data to back up your claims!" says Dr. Nicholas Tatonetti in an e-mail interview with the Huffington Post. He is the assistant professor of biomedical informatics at the university and the study's lead author.

He further states, "When we present these results we are always careful to point out that birth month is a proxy variable for environmental exposures. It is well known that environment can be a very important factor in early development, especially when in the context of some particular genetic variants."

Here are some of the study's general findings as stated by the Huffington Post:

October babies had the highest risk of disease.

May babies had the lowest risk of disease.

July and October babies are at high risk for developing asthma.

November babies are at the highest risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

March babies have the highest risk for heart problems including atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and mitral valve disorder.

Winter babies face a higher risk of getting neurological problems.

"The most exciting aspect of our research is that it may open up new research opportunities into what the exact environmental exposures are that lead to increased risk of certain diseases," says Tantonetti. "Once we have those mechanisms, then we may be able to make lifestyle and diet recommendations."

The great thing about this research is the possibility of the study being done in other parts of the United States, as well as overseas. It would indeed be interesting to find out how environmental factors, as well as seasonal changes, become crucial factors in developing certain types of diseases in individuals.