Saturday, 17 September 2016 09:16

Mooing at the moon

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Does a full moon really induce labor in pregnant women? Scientists examining this old wives’ tale find conflicting evidence.

But a new study suggests some truth in this folklore, for dairy cows, at least. Researchers at the University of Tokyo analysed the birth timing of 400 Holstein Friesian cows. Reviewing the records of full-term spontaneous cow deliveries during a three-year period, the researchers found birth frequency increased as the full moon neared. In fact, the number of births peaked at the near-full and full moon, the researchers say.

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