Objective
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the lunar cycle on the frequency
of deliveries and/or delivery complications.
Study design
This was a retrospective cohort, secondary analysis of 564,039 births across 62 lunar
cycles that were identified from North Carolina birth certificate data from 1997 to
2001.
Results
Using analysis of variance and t-tests, we found no significant differences in the frequency of births, route of delivery,
births to multigravid women, or birth complications across the 8 phases of the moon
or between documented high- and low-volume intervals of the lunar cycle.
Conclusion
An analysis of 5 years of data demonstrated no predictable influence of the lunar
cycle on deliveries or complications. As expected, this pervasive myth is not evidence
based.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 7,
2004
Received in revised form:
November 4,
2004
Received:
July 22,
2004
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
