title: The effect of the lunar cycle on frequency of births and birth complications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the lunar cycle on the frequency of deliveries and/or delivery complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville, NC 28801, USA.
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Arliss
authors.forename: Erin N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Shelley L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Galvin
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001723:Birth Rate; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D016081:Moon; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors