Will major winter storm really cause ‘baby boom’ 9 months later?

Just as Marlon Brando made the name Stella famous during Streetcar Named Desire, there is reason to believe the name could have a resurgence in around nine months — studies have shown major storms, like the blizzard bearing the same name, can lead to mini baby booms.

One such study done at Bryant University shows that "booms" are possible, though not directly connected to bigger storms and power outages. According to their research, between 1995 and 1997 close to 12 million babies were born, with two significant storms during that time. Of the total births, 324,000 came in December 1997 which, they said, lined up with the storm that ran from March 31 through April 1 of that year. The data showed similar results in September 1996, which lined up with a storm in January of that year.

The author of the study, Jim Vento, says that while there is some evidence of a connection, it is not decisive enough to warrant a trend.

"Today, people are more cautious and plan when they want to conceive a child," he writes. "I do not feel the theory that nine months after a major snowstorm or blackout, birthrate increase is true. At first, you would think it obvious, however, facts speak for themselves, and there is nothing concrete to prove that the theory is true.

Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com

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