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Did September's windstorm cause May's baby boom?

Local hospitals seeing more births 9 months after windstorm caused lengthy power outages.

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By Jordan Pridemore, Staff Writer Updated 12:55 AM Friday, May 29, 2009

Last September the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through Ohio, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power for days. Now, nine months later, residents are bracing themselves for another brush with forces of nature.

“There is definitely a significantly high number of babies being born at the hospital,” said Holly Michael, communications manager at Good Samaritan Hospital. “Starting over the weekend, we’ve been experiencing three times the normal volume of births.” According to the hospital’s calculations, the trend will continue through June.

Michael is unsure of what to accredit the baby boom, but Darla Baker, the Clinical Nurse of Mother and Baby at Kettering Medical Center, said, “It’s very likely that the anticipated increase of births is the result of last year’s power outages.”

She said it’s not uncommon for an influx in the number of births nine months after any big event, such as holidays and 9/11. Changes in weather patterns can also lead to a small baby boom.

To prepare for the increase, hospital administrators across the Miami Valley are making sure they have the appropriate staff available for delivery and that prenatal appointments aren’t any more difficult to come by, according to Kettering Medical Center.

Mom-to-be Lacey Dickerson of Dayton can’t pinpoint exactly when her son was conceived, but her due date is June 14, nine months to the day after the peak of the power outage.

“I’d like to think he was conceived during the storm. It’d be such a cute story to tell him one day,” she said.

When asked if she’d consider giving her son the same name as the tempest that may have led to his creation, Dickerson laughed.

“It feels like it’d be bad luck to name my son after a hurricane, but my husband thinks Ike would make a good middle name, so we’ll have to wait and see,” she said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2422 or jpridemore@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Due dates are determined by counting 36-40 weeks from the first day of the womans LAST menstrual period, before she conceived. Not from the first day of the missed period or from the date of conception. 36-40 weeks from late August (last period) = May 8-June 12.

A
4:02 PM, 5/29/2009

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Cletus and Rush have the same "peanut"

Ann
2:28 PM, 5/29/2009

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Name the boys "Ike" and the girls "Ikea" sho-nuff!

Flipper
11:52 AM, 5/29/2009

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Wife and I smelled too bad! No running water for 3 days

m
11:39 AM, 5/29/2009

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HEY CLETUS- Ever heard of a Calendar. Normal gestation of humans 36-40 weeks. Guess when 36 weeks is up? RIGHT Cletus 36 weeks from Sept.14 is MAY 24th. Obviously whomever taught you didn't have much to work with. Nice try but you are WRONG AGAIN! No hate just facts.

mechengr9
11:25 AM, 5/29/2009

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