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Labour ward activity and the lunar cycle

S Ong1, M Wingfield, K McQuillan

  • 1National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology : the Journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
|October 30, 2004
PubMed

To refute the commonly held belief by the general public that the lunar cycle affects labour, we studied 10 027 deliveries over an 18-month period in a large maternity unit in Ireland. There was no increase in the total number of deliveries during the times of a full moon compared with other times. The caesarean section, instrumental vaginal delivery, and pre-term delivery rate remained unchanged over the times of a full moon. We conclude that the lunar cycle has no influence on labour ward activity.

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