Lunar Periodicity in Birth Rate and a Mathematical Model

Abstract

This study was designed to assess lunar influence on birth rate. Subjects for the study were 2531 deliveries occurring over a seven-year period at midwife's clinics in Japan, where all the deliveries were spontaneous and vaginal. Our findings were as follows: (a) more births occur within two days before the new or full moon and three to four days after the new or full moon; (b) fluctuations of birth rates in the half lunar cycle centered at new moon and at full moon have a similar tendency; (c) under the hypotheses that parturient women react to."accumulation" and "rate of change" of cosmic force, (a) and (b) can be clearly explained through mathematical means; and (d) our theory predicts that lunar influence on birth rate would be obscure in northern areas up from 50°N.