PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There is a 1 in 1,461 chance of being born on Feb. 29. Leap years take place every four years. It takes the Earth 365 and a quarter days to complete a full revolution around the sun, so Feb. 29 occurs every four years to balance things out.
But does being born on Feb. 29 impact your health? Let's start by answering the obvious question: Just because a leapling has a birthday every four years doesn't mean they live longer. In fact, most pick Feb. 28 or March 1 to celebrate a birthday every year.
The biggest health impact to be concerned about is that many electronic health records out there that don't recognize Feb. 29. As we rely more on technology, this needs to be addressed to avoid confusion in care.
Get more medical reports from Dr. Brian McDonough.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
