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VERIFY: Can Barometric Pressure Changes Induce Labor?

Can barometric pressure changes induce labor?

VERIFY QUESTION

It was a bright spot in a long, dark week of Hurricane Florence coverage -- a story about a baby, born in the middle of it all.

Novant Health announced Baby Carson arrived at the Brunswick Medical Center the Thursday night Hurricane Florence came ashore. Outside, strong winds and torrential rain were hammering the hospital rooftop.

When Novant Health share the great news via an article, a specific paragraph caught our VERIFY team's attention: "Mom's due date was September 25. But two forces of nature -- childbirth and weather -- intersected to produce a joyous event during a tumultuous night."

Can barometric pressure changes induce labor?

VERIFY SOURCE

  • Eric Chilton - Good Morning Show Meteorologist
  • Dr. A.J. Lewis - Novant Health ObGyn

VERIFY PROCESS

Chilton first explained barometric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere on the earth. It constantly changes.

Dr. Lewis said there is no evidence of a cause and effect between barometric pressure changes and the onset of labor. But, there are many obstetricians and delivery nurses who will say there must be some truth to the rumor, as they have seen upswings in deliveries when weather pressure changes.

A 2007 study looked at delivery volume at a hospital over a six-year period. It showed more babies were born around times of low barometric pressure. However, some obstetricians do not buy the correlation. They think rather, other factors from storms can induce labor -- factors like increased stress and anxiety about whether they will be able to access medical care in an emergency.

VERIFY CONCLUSION

There is no proven scientific correlation between barometric pressure inducing labor, but there are reported increases in baby deliveries during storms.

Do you have a VERIFY inquiry? Contact Meghann Mollerus at Facebook: Meghann Mollerus News, on Twitter @MeghannMollerus or via e-mail at mmollerus@wfmy.com

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