Babies Born In January Have Better Chances At Prosperous Careers

Parents wanting their babies to have a leg up on that big, competitive world out there can do a great deal to prepare them for the professional world. Some child-rearing professionals suggest reading aloud to them at an early age, offering a stable home atmosphere, and making sure they do well in the best schools out there.

Or there's something else they can do even before the little tyke is conceived: Do what you can to ensure it enters the world in January. That's apparently the month when the brightest and best are most likely to surface, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Social Sciences. Luminaries like Amazon founder and the world's richest man Jeff Bezos, legendary physicist Stephen Hawking, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, NHL great Wayne Gretzky, and such celebrities as Elvis Presley, David Bowie, and Oprah Winfrey were all born in January.

While there's a slew of census reports that jibe with other databases from athletes to CEOs to provide lots of backup to support the January baby claim, the science behind it hasn't really been all that conclusive. Probably the most likely reason is due to the time of year, especially in the northern hemisphere where much of the planet is enduring the dreaded mercury drop.

It turns out that because it's so cold outside, January babies get more attention, given that most of the mother's activity is going to be limited to the house. The research goes on that babies are also more likely to have a more gentle demeanor than those born in the summer when the heat is most likely to make them irritable.

But a more practical explanation might have to do with cutoff dates when it comes to education. For kindergarten and primary schools, depending on location, cutoff dates for admission vary between September and the end of the year, meaning that January babies are already more developed mentally and physically than their summer-born peers. The same goes for athletics, especially for Canadian prospects seeking fame and fortune in the NHL. To get into the junior hockey farm systems in the Great White North, the cutoff date is Dec. 31. The logic goes that January-born players already more physically able than other candidates when it comes to hitting the ice.

Other surprises from subsequent studies reveal that January babies are more likely to become doctors, CEOs, high-ranking career positions and celebrities. Naturally, other factors come into play when it comes to making the future brighter for your future born. However, if you want greatness for your next child, remember that the gestation period of pregnancy is around 38 weeks, just do the math and then do what comes naturally.