A new study reveals how technology is changing the odds of being born on Christmas Day | Pete Lakeman

For a global event, you'd think it's random. As such, a child should have an equal chance of being born on any particular day. “The UN estimates that around 385,000 babies are born each day around the world (140 million a year).”

Unfortunately, that's not the reality on the ground. With advancements in technology, people have been able to manipulate when they give birth. According to this article, “between 30% and 40%, fewer babies are born on Dec. 25 than on the peak day of the year.” These statistics hold primarily true for the United States, New Zealand, and Australia.

Apparently, it all comes to scheduling. Many people want to spend the day with family and friends rather than being in a maternity ward. The underlying reason is the fact that one in three births is Cesarean. Both doctors and patients hence avoid scheduling these planned deliveries on big holidays with Christmas day being the most impacted.

Even for vaginal births, doctors can induce labor and they surely don’t plan on doing that when they have other important events going on in their lives. The top 10 days to give birth in the US fall in September.

Interestingly enough, in England, Wales, and New Zealand relatively fewer births are recorded on April 1st. Even though it’s not a major holiday, it has the notoriety of being regarded as fools' day. Parents fear that their children might be stigmatized through bullying.

What do you think? If you have or plan on having children, would you care about the date?

Disclaimer: This article was written for educational and informational purposes only.

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