Exploring the mystical relationship between the Moon, Sun, and birth rate

TL;DR

This study explores whether the Moon and Sun influence the timing of childbirth, finding more births occur when both celestial bodies are above the horizon.

Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence for a correlation between the Moon and Sun positions and the timing of spontaneous vaginal births.

Findings

A significantly higher prevalence of deliveries occurred when the Moon was above the horizon.

The majority of deliveries happened when both the Moon and Sun were above the horizon.

Delivery rates increased during the summer months.

Abstract

The Moon has a noticeable influence on the Earth due to its gravity, the most visible manifestation of which are tides. We aimed to see if the Moon’s daily cycle, like the Sun’s, affects the prevalence and incidence of childbirth.

In this retrospective cohort study, we examined all deliveries at the Academic Hospital of Udine between 2001 and 2019. All consecutive singleton pregnancies with spontaneous labor and vaginal delivery were included.

During the period, 13,349 singleton pregnancies with spontaneous labor and vaginal delivery were delivered in 6939 days. A significantly higher prevalence of deliveries was found with the Moon above the horizon (50.63% vs. 49.37%, p < 0.05). Moreover, during the day, there was a significantly higher prevalence of deliveries than during nighttime (53.74% vs. 45.79%, p < 0.05). Combining the Moon and Sun altitude, the majority of deliveries were registered when both were above the horizon (27.39% vs. 26.13%, 23.25%, or 23.24%, p < 0.05). These findings were confirmed in multivariate analysis after adjusting for parity, gestational age, or season. We found no correlation between birth and the Moon phase.

Our data support the interaction of the Moon and the Sun in determining the time of birth. More research is needed to understand these phenomena and improve our understanding of labor initiation mechanisms.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-024-06654-1.

A significantly higher prevalence of deliveries was found with the Moon above the horizon;

Combining the Moon and Sun, the majority of deliveries were registered when both were above the horizon;

During the summer, we found an increase in the delivery rate.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-024-06654-1.

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