Births, time variations, and lunar associations in east Tennessee

This research investigated the relationship between the incidence of live birth and the variables: month of the year, day of the week, time of day, and lunar phase. The study used a descriptive design to retrospectively examine birth record data for 2644 total live births occurring over three years at a medium-sized general hospital on the border of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. Chi-square analysis of the data revealed associations between the incidence of spontaneous, live births and time of day and the incidence of induced births and month of the year. Other possible nonsignificant patterns of the incidence of birth and day of the week and month of the year were also noted.

The results of the study were discussed and conclusions and implications were drawn from them. These conclusions and implications concerned application of the results to the institution from which the study's data were gathered. They also enumerated directions for future research related to birth and to Martha Roger's theory of the Science of Unitary Human Beings.