Transformations in Weekly Birth Distribution. A Temporal Analysis 1940-2010

Abstract

The seasonality of births is an issue that has received much attention in
the literature. Empirical evidence has revealed that annual birth
distributions have evolved from environmentally-regulated fertility
patterns to models that are dominated by socio-cultural factors. This
study expands upon this literature by examining the weekly distribution
of births and its evolution over the past decades. Using the micro-data
of the municipal register files of the Valencian Community (n=3,674,110),
we empirically reveal that the current organization of work schedules in
the healthcare sector impacts the weekly distribution of births, resulting
in the hegemonic position of the medical profession. This has been
confirmed by the change in the distribution of births, by days of the
week, since the mid-20th century until the present date.