Brazil's Itaipu Blackout: Will We See A Baby Boom In Nine Months?

As the power disappeared in Brazil and parts of Paraguay yesterday night due to a transmission line failure at the Itaipu dam, Twitter was abuzz about the baby boom phenomenon that many link to major new events.

Supporters of baby boom phenomenon say an increased number of babies is born roughly nine months after major power outages, snowstorms and other events that keep people locked in their houses with nothing to do.

But, other experts say 'blackout babies' are just an urban legend, and that there is no data to back up the phenomenon. They say spikes in births can simply coincide with major events. The argument is that some baby booms have no newsworthy events to attribute them to, meanwhile some major events are not followed by a significant increase in the number of newborns nine months later. Some experts say, the stress and uncertainty associated with major calamities might actually prevent people from becoming more intimate.

What does statistics have to say?

After the famous Northeast blackout in 1965, which affected 25 million people in Canada and the United States, many newspapers predicted a baby boom. But, the baby boom theory was debunked by demographer Richard Udry, who proved that there was no significant increase in the birthrate in the areas affected by the blackout.

The blackout in August of 2003 that affected over 50 million people in northeastern United States and parts of Canada was predicted to result in the "biggest baby boom ever seen" by Toronto mayor Mel Lastman. But, the prediction failed to materialize. Maternity wards did not see any significant increases in the number of babies born over the year before the blackout.

Post 9/11 attacks, many predicted an upsurge in the number of babies born and the number of new families started as people re-considered their lives in the light of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. But, statistics shows that the prediction did not come true either.