Seasonal Variation in the Birth of Left-handed Schoolgirls

Leviton, Alan; Kilty, Ted

doi:10.1001/archneur.1979.00500380085016

Cited by 20 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Several early studies have examined the relationship between left-handedness and season of birth in males, but results have been inconsistent (e.g., Leviton & Kilty, 1979;Badian, 1983). Most recently, using a different seasonal grouping factor, two studies yielded a significant association between left-handedness and birth month when birth months were grouped in terms of March-July versus August-February.…”

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confidence: 99%

Relation of Handedness with Season of Birth of Professional Baseball Players Revisited

Abel

Krüger

2004

Percept Mot Skills

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We reexamined the relationship between month and season of birth and handedness in male professional baseball players listed in Lahman's Baseball Archive Vol. 4.5 database. The sample of 8,016 individuals (left-handed = 1,658; right-handed = 6,358) played major league baseball between 1900-2001. A slightly higher, but statistically significant, percentage of left-handed players were born in June compared to other months, and in the winter-spring months, but we were unable to corroborate Rogerson's spring and early summer categorization of handedness as related to birth season. The data did not support the hypothesis that the prevalence of left-handedness is related to season of birth.

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confidence: 99%

Relation of Handedness with Season of Birth of Professional Baseball Players Revisited

Abel

Krüger

2004

Percept Mot Skills

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“…Although there is some evidence for a season of birth effect on human handedness, the empirical data are inconclusive as there are studies showing contradictory results. For example, several published studies [ 24 , 25 , 35 , 36 ] have suggested that distribution of birth is different in left-handers than in right-handers, whereas some studies reported a gender specific association (e.g. [ 25 , 37 ]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For obvious reasons, direct investigations between these factors and behavioural lateralisation are not always feasible. It has therefore been hypothesised that variation in the incidence of viral infections [ 24 , 25 ] and prenatal exposure to testosterone [ 12 ] may be responsible for sinistral developmental trajectory. Similar to all other environmental factors responsible for left-handedness, the empirical evidence for the season of birth effect is indirect, speculative and, at best, mixed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Season of birth and handedness in Serbian high school students

et al. 2008

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BackgroundAlthough behavioural dominance of the right hand in humans is likely to be under genetic control, departures from this population norm, i.e. left- or non-right-handedness, are believed to be influenced by environmental factors. Among many such environmental factors including, for example, low birth weight, testosterone level, and maternal age at birth, season of birth has occasionally been investigated. The overall empirical evidence for the season of birth effect is mixed.MethodsWe have investigated the effect of season of birth in an epidemiologically robust sample of randomly selected young people (n = 977), all born in the same year. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov type statistical test was used to determine season of birth.ResultsNeither the right-handed nor the non-right-handed groups demonstrated birth asymmetry relative to the normal population birth distribution. There was no between-group difference in the seasonal distribution of birth when comparing the right-handed to the non-right-handed groups.ConclusionThe present study failed to provide support for a season of birth effect on atypical lateralisation of handedness in humans.

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“…Seasonal differences in the birth of left handed girls (but not boys) have been reported,22 suggesting that environmental factors (possibly infectious agents) may be important. Seasonal differences in birth of subjects with IBD are also described 23…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%