Taller babies born in summer

Published on Tuesday 3 February 2009 21:43

MOTHERS who are pregnant in the summer have taller, stronger-boned babies because they benefit from the sun's vitamin-boosting rays, a study has revealed.

Those born in late summer and early autumn are around half a centimetre taller and have wider bones than those born in winter and spring, an 18-year project found.

In the summer expectant mothers should get enough sun to boost their vitamin D levels just by walking around outside or even sunbathing.

But winter parents should consider taking vitamin supplements, researchers at Bristol University recommended.

Anyone thinking of trying to short-cut the process by sitting on a sunbed for the final weeks of their pregnancy would be doing themselves no good.

Sunbeds emit mainly UVA light, whereas it is natural UVB rays from the sun that triggers production of vitamin D, a study spokeswoman, Sally Watson, said. Sunbed users also face well-publicised risks.

Ms Watson said: "Perhaps people shouldn't be quite so terrified of the sun. There's been a lot of panic about skin cancer, but people don't need to panic about the odd few minutes of exposure.

"A little controlled English sun is better than none."