Research shows vitamin D boost is no tall story

Children born in summer are taller and have stronger bones than their winter classmates.

By the time they are 10, summer children are an average of 0.5cm taller and have almost 13cm more bone area than winter kids, British researchers said after studying 7000 children.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists president Dr Ted Weaver said vitamin D exposure had a big impact on baby size, which continued into height and health in later life.

Dr Weaver said ante-natal screening for vitamin D was becoming increasingly important, particularly for Muslim women who are shielded from the sun by their burkas.

Born on Tuesday at Monash Medical Centre after one of the state's sunniest periods, Alasdair Duell measured 54cm -- well above the 50cm average for newborns and enough for East Bentleigh parents Megan Fisher and Ken Duell to dream of a future as an AFL ruckman or big-serving tennis star