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Dutch Blackout Leads to Baby Boom

By Ambreen Ali, Newser User

Posted Oct 30, 2008 12:50 PM CDT

(Newser) – A mini baby boom in the Netherlands has dark origins: The 44% jump in births in September came nine months after a 2-day blackout left most of the 24,000 residents of a small area in the eastern part of the country freezing. "They went to bed early to keep warm,” said a government spokeswoman. The Maasdriel area gained 18 newborn residents in September 2007, CNN reports. In September 2008: 26.

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Dutch babies are a rarity, given the country's declining birth rate. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

The village cluster reported 26 births last month, compared to 18 in September last year. (AP Photo/Koen van Weel, Pool)

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Some people went to other cities, but a lot of people stayed in their house with low temperature. - Government spokeswoman Anneleas van Eijkeren

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