The idea that "love is in the air" during the spring season is an old one.
But is human interest in love actually stronger in the spring, and if so, is it based in our chemistry the way it is for animals?
NATIONAL STUDIES
Between 1989 and 2006, seasonally adjusted data for the Centers for Disease Control's National Vital Statistics Reports show that there are " much more often than not " marked birth spikes in the month of November. Using sophisticated mathematical procedures, one can ascertain that this spike is caused by increased reproductive activity nine months before, in March, or right around the vernal equinox " the point at which winter gives way to spring.
Additionally, a 1990 article in the Journal of Biological Rhythms caused a stir when it indicated the vernal equinox saw fertility spikes all over the world.
While that's all very interesting, an informal survey of a few metro-area hospitals showed that the CDC's numbers don't hold up, at least around these here parts.
LOCAL STATS
Dr. Lisa Wasemiller-Smith, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Lakeside Women's Hospital in Oklahoma City, said the facility's birthing records don't show a spike in November or any other month.
Paul Brune, Norman Regional Hospital's nursery manager, said his hospital doesn't show birth spikes in November, either.
Annette Carter, family birth center manager at Norman Regional, said the hospital's busy months for babies are "pretty random." "Mike Robertson
