Previous studies have reported certain effects of the season of birth, for example on birth weight and various other health outcomes.

The researchers compared the growth and development of around 450,000 men and women from the UK Biobank study.

The results reveal that babies born in June, July, and August were heavier at birth and taller as adults. For the first time, the study also revealed that girls born in the summer started puberty later - an indication of better health in adult life.

Women who were born in the summer are more likely to be healthy adults, suggests new research The authors of the study, which was published in the journal Heliyon, say more sunlight - and therefore higher vitamin D exposure - in the second trimester of pregnancy could explain the effect, but more research is needed.

The environment in the womb leads to differences in early life - including before birth - that can influence health in later life. This effect, called programming, has consequences for development throughout childhood and into adulthood.

http://www.heliyon.com/article/e00031