Kids conceived in summer may fare worse in their studies

Want your kids academic record to be extremely bright? Well, then you would be better off trying to conceive your baby in the spring or the winter.

Washington, May 8 : Want your kid's academic record to be extremely bright? Well, then you would be better off trying to conceive your baby in the spring or the winter.

A new research led by neonatologist Paul Winchester, M.D. has found that the time of year in which a child is conceived influence future academic achievement.

And, Dr Winchester and his colleagues certainly know what they are talking about, for they studied 1,667,391 students at Indiana University before coming to his conclusion.

The researchers found that kids conceived in the summer months - from June to August - scored the lowest in their math and language papers when they took the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) examination.

As a part of the study the researchers linked the scores of the students in grades 3 through 10 with the month in which each student had been conceived.

As to why do kids born in the summer score less academically, well the researchers believe that that's because the pesticide levels in the environment are highest during these months, and that this affects the foetal brain.

"The foetal brain begins developing soon after conception. The pesticides we use to control pests in fields and our homes and the nitrates we use to fertilize crops and even our lawns are at their highest level in the summer," said Dr. Winchester, who also directs Newborn Intensive Care Services at St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis.

"Exposure to pesticides and nitrates can alter the hormonal milieu of the pregnant mother and the developing fetal brain," said Dr. Winchester.Dr Winchester insists that though the study does not present 'absolute proof' that pesticides harm a baby's developing brain, it certainly 'strongly supports' the hypothesis.

"While our findings do not represent absolute proof that pesticides and nitrates contribute to lower ISTEP scores, they strongly support such a hypothesis," he said.

James Lemons, M.D., director of the section of neonatal-perinatal medicine at the IU School of Medicine and at Riley Hospital for Children of Clarian Health in Indianapolis, added that the study laid down the foundation for more research on this matter.

"I believe this work may lay the foundation for some of the most important basic and clinical research, and public health initiatives of our time. To recognize that what we put into our environment has potential pandemic effects on pregnancy outcome and possibly on child development is a momentous observation, which hopefully will help transform the way humanity cares for its world," he said.

Nitrates and pesticides are known to cause maternal hypothyroidism and lower maternal thyroid in pregnancy is associated with lower cognitive scores in offspring.

"We have now linked higher pesticide and nitrate exposure in surface water with lower cognitive scores. Neurodevelopmental consequences of exposure to pesticides and nitrates may not be obvious for many decades," said Dr. Winchester.

The findings will be presented on May 7 at the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting.

ANI