Power cut causes Dutch 'baby boom'

[Graham2001]

Shades of the New York Blackout...

A small Dutch community has recorded a 44 percent rise in baby births nine months after a power cut plunged its 23,000 inhabitants into darkness for two days.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=656761

[Shnoops]

What? They've got electric powered birth control now?

Well, that was what popped into mind at first. I didn't read the article, but i'm guessing they had nothing better to do during a blackout.

[Floater]

The New York Blackout-a-chow.

[Graham2001]

Originally Posted by Floater

The New York Blackout-a-chow.

I knew I'd forgotten to link to something :o

[Joostik]

Maternity Clinics "Tired about nonsense about Apache-Babies"

Sorry, in Dutch only, but the essence is this:

-- Yes, there was a 48-hour blackout last December

-- Yes, 26 babies have been born this September, compared to 19 (not 18 as claimed) a year ago

BUT:

-- Those 19 were slightly less than the average of 20 a month for 2007

-- This Septembers 26 were less than the 28 of October last year, and well within statistical fluctuations

-- Overall the number of births in Maasdriel has increased this year

-- Numbers for August and October have been lower than average, suggesting an "overflow" of late August and early October births into September

-- Births in neighbouring Zaltbommel, which had been equally affected by the power cut, were actually less (24 from 35) than the year before

A mere coincidence? Yes. It's not that through a two-night long power cut female fertility spontaneously increases. Even if they did try harder.