Babies born during the autumn months are more likely to live to the grand old age of 100, according to new research conducted by the University of Chicago.

Although the days are shorter and the shadows longer, it looks like autumnal babies, born in the months of September, October and November, stand the best chance of making it to their centennial year.

Data from 1,500 centenarians born between 1880 and 1895 from across the US showed that the majority of these people were born in the fall.

This research confirms the conclusions of earlier studies that the time of year — as well as the environment and temperature you are born into — will affect your behavior, genetics and lifespan.

Alexander Lerchl at Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany also studied the relationship between birth month and life expectancy. “This data is in almost perfect agreement with my data, which found that people born between October and December had a statistically significantly older age at death,” he said.

The most popular explanation is that babies who catch a cold in the autumn will have greater immunity to such infections later in life. Seasonal hormone fluctuations could also have an impact, researchers say. Or it could just be that crisp, autumn air is good for the constitution.

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