Full Moon Leads To More Babies? Hospital's Possible Explanation For Weekend Baby Boom In Sacramento

Strange things seem to happen when there's a full moon, especially in the hospital.

That's where an incredible 45 babies entered the world last weekend in Sacramento, Calif., according to FOX 40. But some say the mini "baby boom" was no accident.

Throughout a period of 48 hours, doctors at Sacramento's Sutter Memorial delivered 45 newborns-- a possible record for deliveries in a two-day period for the city, stated hospital spokesperson Gary Zavoral. While some doctors joke that the high number of births could be attributed to the full moon, hospital officials hint that the speculation might not be that far out. After all, menstruation and ovulation more or less follow a lunar cycle, so why can't childbirth be affected, too?

The theory of the lunar effect on births is based off the fact that the moon's gravitational pull causes high tides. Since the human body is made up of 80 percent water, the pull is believed to speed along the childbirth process, according to Discovery Health.

However, several studies suggest that the idea of the lunar effect influencing the number or frequency of deliveries is just, well, looney.

In 2005, researchers from Mountain Area Health Education Center in North Carolina analyzed almost 600,000 births across 62 lunar cycles. The data were retrieved from birth certificates from 1997 to 2001. The result? No significant differences in the frequency of births across the eight stages of the moon.

Scientific data doesn't put old myths to bed, though. The anecdote of the lunar effect is a longstanding one, and some medical professionals won't deny that things get pretty hectic when the full moon is out.

"I think if you talk to anybody on the front lines of the hospital, emergency room doctors, labor and delivery, etc. it’s always like that on the full moon, everyone for some reason is really busy," Matthew Guile, a doctor at Sutter Memorial, told Fox 40.

Comments

[ThinkCreeps]

06:07 AM on 08/18/2011

Did the discovery channel ever used to be worth watching?

[ThinkCreeps]

06:26 AM on 08/18/2011

When there's no moon, no-one remarks that there are both lunatics and a full moon. However, there are just as many lunatics as usual.

[Mr Anonymous]

09:38 PM on 08/17/2011

Full moon leads to more werewolf attacks?

Apparently no, scientists say that there is more of a chance of being attacked by a wild animal while stomping around in the woods at night during a full moon as opposed to werewolves. However, people still do believe that it happens more often then you think.

[AFMomXs2]

06:26 PM on 08/17/2011

AND when you get several women together at the same time for any length of time their cycles will all equal out to the same time... so picture all the Dixie Chicks on tour ... all on their period ... at the same time ... their road crew wanted to shoot themselves ...

[lucky-dog]

04:31 PM on 08/17/2011

Twenty five years of nursing and we brace ourselves when there's a full moon on a warm Friday night. The poop hits the fan in labor and delivery.

[blizzardlipz69]

12:21 PM on 08/17/2011

every full moon i get this hair growing all over my body and i sprout big teeth and long nails and i wanna chase cats and stuff

[cljinlv]

12:04 PM on 08/17/2011

Full moons also lead to more werewolves.

[joeshop8]

11:59 AM on 08/17/2011

I worked in the medical industry for years and Our favorite time was the full moon happening the same time the welfare checks and SSI pmts. happened. We would head to a saloon and watch the magic unfold.

[buftaj612]

11:54 AM on 08/17/2011

This isn't only what this hospital says, all the nurses I know say this too. I grew up around tons of nurses because of my family and they really believe this, and these are NY nurses. They would always say the the emergency room would be more filled up on a full moon too, so who knows?

[ThinkCreeps]

06:19 AM on 08/18/2011

Who knows? Clearly not the nurses.

[Bawney Fruit]

11:45 AM on 08/17/2011

I bet that they will all grow up to be America hating Democrats! The full moon ALWAYS brings out the best California Draculas that money can buy. Guaranteed!

[linkmaster]

02:05 PM on 08/17/2011

And this coming from a party that has all the attributes of Hitler.

[denoferth]

10:23 AM on 08/17/2011

Ah yes, Bella Luna works it's magic.

[dickn2000b]

10:20 AM on 08/17/2011

Good Lord...more pseudo-scientific nonsense. It reminds me of the guy who was told by one of these "healers" that putting a magnet in his pocket would make him feel better. When asked if it did he replied, "Only when I face north." And believing that the moon could have any significant effects on the body because of its gravitational effects on the tides is equally foolish. If you want to test this ask a friend who has erectile dysfunction to lie down on the ground facing the moon and see how much blood is pulled into his penis by the moons gravitational force.

[eddy joe]

10:14 AM on 08/17/2011

So who do you believe... a scientific study, or those that see it happen every month, in hospitals?

[VA Jill]

10:10 AM on 08/17/2011

When I worked in neonatal years ago, we did an informal survey using the nursery register and lunar calendars for the previous 3 years. We found that our "boom periods" were usually on the waxing moon, peaking on the 3-4 days up to the full moon and dropping off a day or so after.

[gunslinger494]

10:08 AM on 08/17/2011

I would be the first to agree that a full moon would produce more babies. From my younger days working in the back seat of a 66 chevelle to now the full moon is just great for lots of things LOL

[gunslinger494]

02:51 PM on 08/17/2011

Bob Seegar I think it was "workin on those night moves" in the back seat of my 60's Chevy

[alanracer]

10:00 AM on 08/17/2011

Of course it does... When the moon is full, guys tend to drink more, and that makes them take stupid chances.. ie, more babies.... Oh yeah, works the same way on women too....
LOL

[Dede Eagleburger]

12:01 PM on 08/17/2011

umm, okay, I thought the article was saying the full moon caused childbirth, nothing about conception?

[cljinlv]

12:06 PM on 08/17/2011

You actually read the article and used logic, silly goose.