Thaindian News

London, Aug 26 (IANS) The severe winter coupled with the credit crunch could be behind a baby boom that is expected to hit Britain next month, exactly nine months after life came to standstill due to blizzards.
While credit crunch dissuaded people from stepping out, the unusual severity of the winter forced people to remain in their homes at the start of the year.

Next month will be nine months since snow and blizzards hit the country and midwives are now expecting a bumper baby births.

Daily Mail reported Thursday that in September, 600 babies are expected to be born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, alone. It is a dramatic 20 percent increase in the normal figure.

Experts stated that the difficulty in finding a job due to the recession had also led women to bring forward their plans to have a baby.

Midwives are of the opinion that the sudden increase in births was due to snowed-in couples spending cosy nights during the freezing winter that hit the south in late December and early January.

The birthrate in Britain rose from 12.5 percent to 12.7 percent last year.

The National Health Service (NHS) expected a hike in the number of babies born next month, and admitted it would prove an “obvious challenge”.

“We do see a rise in conception rates when there’s been severe weather.

“The weather has a significant impact and the snow could definitely be the reason for the baby boom next month,” Joy Horner, a midwife based in Portsmouth, was quoted as saying.

“If you cannot get out of your house, you’ve got to find some way to keep yourself occupied.”