birth order

In the last two months alone, we've learned that firstborn children are more likely to suffer from food allergies, and those born in the Spring and Summer months are more likely to have celiac disease. So what happens if you are a firstborn and you were born in July? Are you predisposed to other health conditions as well?

Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time we've heard of such associations being made. In terms of birth order, research has looked at the role your birth order plays in intelligence, citing that firstborn children may score higher on IQ tests compared to their younger siblings.

And when it comes to your birth month, some scientists believe there are specific illnesses and behavioral disorders that are more prevalent among people born during certain months or seasons of the year. Although celiac disease in individuals born during Summer months wasn't mentioned, other conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, leukemia, dyslexia, diabetes were. What's the connection? Scientists believe that there's an environmental component, as fetuses exposed to seasonal viruses may suffer in the womb. Despite the fact that these correlations are being made, there still hasn't been a study to date as of yet that has proven a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between illness and your birth month. Do you think there are ties between birth order or birth month and health?

We know birth order affects personality, but what happens when birth orders mix. Your place in your family and your partner's can affect how you relax, communicate, and fight. The oldest and youngest are by far the most complementary pair, like Ed Westwick (the youngest of three) and Jessica Szohr (the eldest of five), but what of the others? Here's a breakdown of the best, worst, and so-so matches by birth order.

Best

Oldest/only and youngest: This is especially true if the youngest is a the male with older sisters. He'll bring out the maternal side of the woman, which a true eldest will adore.

Worst

Only and only: Used to being the center of attention, neither is eager, or necessarily willing, to give up the spotlight.
Youngest and youngest: Sure two youngests will have fun, but nobody will be in charge and the relationship may whirl into chaos.

Mixed Results

Middle and youngest: If the middle has an eldest traits then it could be an excellent match; however, if the middle has last-born traits then it could be as unproductive as two youngests.
Oldest and oldest: Friction is likely when these two controlling, yet people-pleasing personalities team up. If both are always competing, it will likely turn into a power struggle.
Oldest and middle: Middle children are often hypersensitive to injustice. So when the oldest tries to take control, the middle may perceive unfairness.

Does this fall into place for you?

First-borns have a reputation for being just about perfect. They perform better on standardized tests and usually achieve a high degree of tangible success, being most likely to head the boardroom table.

But they're also known for their loyal and nurturing natures, which is why I am surprised a study found they are less cooperative, trusting, and reciprocating than their younger siblings. How can this be? My guess is when another child comes, they are forced to share their parents' attention and later their toys, friends, activities, and even rooms.

Researchers more or less agree with my theory, saying new siblings siphon off parents' attention, which creates more competition and less cooperation. If it was this simple, though, wouldn't children grow out of it? You'd think! Yet the study's sample was over 500 college students. I'd say it's because we still regress around siblings no matter how old we get, but, considering the study didn't use siblings, it seems it never stops!

Source: Flickr User kaymoshusband

Mothers can study birth control options, monitor their cycles and try to carefully map out family expansion, but surprise pregnancies still happen.

Though most parents joke about it later, a new study in the journal of Child Development reveals that unexpected babies – both those that weren't planned at all and those that did not occur when their parents expected them – receive "fewer resources than intended siblings," including parental support and learning materials like books and puzzles.  The study goes on to say that "Parents’ stress and lack of patience may be directed explicitly toward an unwanted child."

Would an unplanned pregnancy alter your treatment of that offspring?