A “belated” Christmas present: When are the popular months for birthdays in Malaysia?

Why is this topic relevant to me?

Have you noticed that several of your friends and family were born in September? Data shows that September is the peak month for baby birthdays globally every year. This may be closely related to the annual Christmas season.

Christmas is not only about gifts and feasts, it is also the season of love and peace. This warmth of love seems to find its best proof nine months later.

Every year, around nine months after Christmas, there is a baby boom in many countries around the world, including Malaysia. Let's digest the data to uncover the reasons behind this seasonal peak in birthdays.

An analysis of data from the National Registration Department shows that September and October are the months with the highest number of babies born in the country every year, with the number of births starting from at least 60,000 on each day.

Also, more babies are born in the first 12 days of November, which corresponds to just before Valentine's Day in February.

Five of the ten most common birth dates in the country fall in September. Of these, more than 64,000 babies are born on the 9th and 15th, and from the 18th to the 20th of September, meaning that a large number of pregnances are likely to take place around Christmass each year.

In addition to this, there are more babies born in the repeated-numbered days, such as 1 January and 11 November.

Why are there so many babies born in September?

According to an article in Reader's Digest, births between August and late September mean conception between November and late December. Those are the months when the weather just happens to be getting cold, which may lead to more intimate time spent together, thereby increasing the likelihood of conception.

The article cites Todd Furniss, an independent healthcare statisticalian. He said that some theories suggested that humans may have a slight seasonal pattern in fertility, with higher conception rates in winter months.

“This could be linked to historical survival strategies, where giving birth in late summer or early fall would ensure that evils are born at a time when food is more abundant and the weather is milder.”

In addition, most people tend to schedule time off from work during year-end, which means more time spent together, which could lead to more opportunities for baby-making. This relaxed environment and increased togetherness can lead to higher rates of conception.

However, it must be emphasized that not all pregnances last exactly nine months, and not all pregnances or births are planned. Therefore, we cannot know for certain why these common birth months or dates occur.

Nevertheless, this pattern reveals the subtle yet fascinating connections in human life: holiday gatherings and seasonal changes quietly influence the timing of the arrival of new life.

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