Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-sxzjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T10:09:56.962Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal variation in human births

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

William H. James
William H. James
Affiliation:
MRC Mammalian Development Unit, University College London
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

During the first half of this century, the seasonal pattern of births in European countries showed a major peak in the spring and a minor peak in the autumn. In contrast, the pattern in the US was of a minor peak in spring and a major peak in autumn. Over the last 20 years, the pattern in England and Wales has changed to resemble the US pattern, and the same seems to be true of several other European countries. A hypothesis is offered to account for the difference between the European and the US patterns and for the change from one to the other in some countries.

The magnitude of seasonality correlates positively with latitude: it is suggested that this is partially consequent on variation in luminosity.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , January 1990 , pp. 113 - 119
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ashley, M. J. (1988) Season of birth: stability of the pattern in Canada. Can. J. publ. Hlth, 79, 101.Google ScholarPubMed
Chen, L. C., Ahmed, S., Gesche, M. & Mosley, W. H. (1974) A prospective study of birth interval dynamics in rural Bangladesh. Popul' Stud. 28, 277.Google ScholarPubMed
Cowgill, U. (1966a) The season of birth in man. Man, 1, 232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowgill, U. (1966b) Season of birth in man. Ecology, 47, 614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowgill, U. (1969) The season of birth and its biological implications. J. Reprod. Fert. Supplement 6, 89.Google Scholar
Czeizel, A. & Elek, E. (1967) Seasonal changes in the frequency of fetal damages and fertility. Gynecologia, 164, 89.Google ScholarPubMed
Halli, S. S. (1989) The seasonality of births in Canada. J. biosoc. Sci. 21, 321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Houdaille, J. (1985) Le mouvement saisonnier des naissances dans la France rurale de 1640 à 1669. Population, 40, 360.Google Scholar
James, W. H. (1971) Social class and season of birth. J. biosoc. Sci. 3, 309.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
James, W. H. (1983) Seasonal variation in sperm counts. Fert. Steril. 39, 569.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kallan, J. E. & Udry, J. R. (1989) Demographic components of seasonality of pregnancy. J. biosoc. Sci. 21, 101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lagoguey, M. & Reinberg, A. (1976) Circannual rhythms in plasma LH, FSH and testosterone and in the sexual activity of healthy young Parisian males. J. Physiol. 257, 19 P.Google ScholarPubMed
Lyster, W. R. (1985) New seasonal distribution in English and Welsh births. Int. J. Epidemiol. 14, 482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mathers, C. D. & Harris, R. S. (1983) Seasonal distribution of births in Australia. Int. J. Epidemiol. 12, 326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayaux, M. J. & Spira, A. (1989) Seasonal distribution in conceptions achieved by AID. Br. med. J. 298, 187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menken, J. (1979) Seasonal migration and seasonal variation in fecundability: effects on birth rates and birth intervals. Demography, 16, 103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paraskevaides, E. C., Pennington, G. W. & Naik, S. (1988) Seasonal distribution in conceptions achieved by AID. Br. med. J. 297, 1309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parkes, A. S. (1968) Seasonal variation in human sexual activity. In: Genetic and Environmental Influences on Behaviour. Edited by Thoday, J. M. & Parkes, A. S.. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Querec, L. & Spratley, E. (1978) Characteristics of Births, United States 1973–1975. National Center for Health Statistics Series 21 No 30. US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Bethesda, Maryland.Google ScholarPubMed
Reinberg, A. & Lagoguey, M. (1978) Circadian and circannual rhythms in sexual activity and plasma hormones (FSH, LH, testosterone) of five human males. Archs sex. Behav. 7, 13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rönnberg, L. (1989) Seasonal distribution in conceptions achieved by AID. Br. med. J. 298, 187.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, H. M. (1966) Seasonal Variation of Births, United States 1933–63. National Center for Health Statistics Series 21 No 9. US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, DC.Google ScholarPubMed
Seiver, D. A. (1985) Trend and variation in the seasonality of U.S. fertility 1947–76. Demography, 22, 89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shimura, M., Richter, J. & Miura, T. (1981) Geographical and secular changes in the seasonal distribution of births. Social Sci. Med. 15D, 103.Google ScholarPubMed
Takahashi, E. (1964) Seasonal variation of conception and suicide. Tohoku J. exp. Med. 84, 215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Udry, J. R. & Morris, N. M. (1967) Seasonality of coitus and seasonality of birth. Demography, 4, 673.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Warren, C. W., Gwinn, M. L. & Rubin, G. L. (1986) Seasonal variation in conceptions and various pregnancy outcomes. Social Biol. 33, 116.Google ScholarPubMed