People born in the autumn live longer than those born in the
spring. And they are less likely to fall (36) ill when they
are older, according to an Austrian scientist. The scientists at the Max Planck
Institute for Demographic Research made such (37) by using
census data for more than one million people in Austria, Denmark and Australia.
They found that the month of birth was related to life (38)
over the age of 50. (39) differences in what mothers ate
during pregnancy, and infections occurring at different times of the year could
both have an impact on the health of a new-born baby and could (40)
its life expectancy in older age. "A mother giving birth in spring
spends the last (41) of her pregnancy in winter, when she
will eat less vitamins than in summer," said Gabriele Doblhammer, one of a team
of scientists who carried out the research. "When she stops breast-feeding and
starts giving her baby (42) food, it’s in the hot weeks of
summer when babies are (43) to infections of the digestive
system." (44) In the southern hemisphere,
the picture was similar. (45) . The study focused on
people born at the beginning of the 20th century. " (46) ,"
Doblhammer said.