There is a belief that there is a connection between the Moon and fertility and childbirth. The truth is that, on average, the menstrual cycle lasts about 28 days; and that duration is similar to the lunar synodic month, which is what the 29-day interval between two equal phases of the Moon is called. This duration is also similar to the sidereal month, which is the time it takes the Moon to complete its orbit around the Earth: 27 days. On the other hand, the average duration of pregnancy (from conception) is 265 days, which is equivalent to nine synodic lunar months.
It is true that studies carried out in the sixties and seventies of the last century seemed to show a relationship between the phases of the lunar cycle and an increase in the number of births; Although, in these studies, no consensus was reached on which lunar phase influenced births. We now have recent research; and these have found no relationship between the different phases of the Moon and an increase in the frequency of births.
One of these studies was published in 2004 in a high-impact journal, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in its Spanish translation). In this work The influence of the lunar cycle on the frequency of births was precisely analyzed. 664,039 births that took place in the state of North Carolina, in the United States, were analyzed.
What the study did was compare the frequency of births in the eight phases of the lunar cycle: new moon, crescent moon, first quarter moon, waxing gibbous moon, full moon, waning gibbous moon, waning gibbous moon, and waning moon. And in addition, it was specifically analyzed whether each of the lunar phases affected the total number of births and specific groups: spontaneous births, births of multiparous women, instrumental births, cesarean sections or when there were any complications such as premature rupture of membranes, preterm births or other complications. The results of this exhaustive study showed that there were no significant differences either in the total number of births or in any of the groups that were analyzed.
In Spain, research has also been done on this issue. The last two have been published recently: a very interesting one, carried out by Francisco José Marco-Gracia, analyzes 23,689 births that took place between 1810 and 1929. All of these births had occurred in rural areas, all of them were vaginal and without any type of medical intervention. And in this study no relationship was found between lunar phases and the frequency of births. AND other, also very interesting, directed by Félix Morales and published in 2020, analyzes births in Valladolid during the years 2015 to 2018 and also does not find any relationship between the number of births and the lunar phases. In the latter, they also analyzed several meteorological phenomena and did not find significant relationships.
So the answer to the question is that there is no scientific evidence that indicates that the full moon (or any other phase of the Moon) causes an increase in births. Although I have to tell you that as an obstetrics professional, when we have great pressure, we continue to relate it to the Moon. But the explanation for why this happens is simple: if you have many births, that is, a lot of healthcare pressure, it is easy for you to look at the sky and, if there is a full moon, you remember it; and if there isn't, forget it. But when we have few births, no one looks at the sky or establishes an association with the Moon.
Ana Palacios Marqués She is head of the Obstetrics Section of the Dr. Balmis General University Hospital in Alicante.
Question sent via email byMiguel Marroyo.
Coordination and writing: Victoria Toro.
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