Is it bad to be born on Halloween? After all, the holiday - which has been traced to have Pagan roots - is all about death and horror.
So what's a pregnant woman who's due to give birth on October 31st to do? She defies biology, that's what! Here's what Yale researchers found by analyzing the birth statistics in the past 11 years:
All types of births — natural, C-section, induced — decreased significantly on All Hallows’ Eve. Overall, a whopping 11.3% decrease in births was seen on this day across the years. That’s a pretty clear indicator that women don’t want their babies associated with hauntings and horror.
Okay, so the numbers are definitive. But how could women exert control over when they give birth?! The short answer is that no one has any idea. The closest that these authors come to suggesting a psychophysiological mechanism is to say that wanting to give birth on Valentine’s Day and resisting giving birth on Halloween could, for a short time, alter the hormonal mechanisms responsible for determining birth timing.
Link - via This isn't happiness
For all births,, it looks like there's a slightly higher than normal number on November 1, but for natural births, are the numbers as definitive as we think? I think there is a small psychological aspect to it, and some women are, to some extent, able to aim for a date, if not choose it exactly. they should have broken down the numbers by hours as well, to see how many babies were born at 12:01 on November 1.
Also, I wonder if the data for first-time mothers differs because they don't have to worry about preparing their child's costume and trick-or-treating.
My SiL was supposed to have a scheduled c-sec on 6-6-06 for my 2nd neice, but yeah... she said no to the doctor and had it done the next day :P
Personally, if I was due around that time of year, I'd push for a Halloween birth. My step-mother was born on Halloween and she loves her birthday.
On the other hand, I'd hate to have a baby born within a week or two of Christmas because those kids really get screwed out of parties and presents.
But then again... Only in the last 6-8 years has Halloween gotten big in Germany. It was practically unknown before.
"here in the UK to give incorrect information to the registrar when notifying a birth or death is an offcence"