FOCUS: Postnatal Care Shortages Emerge in Japan as Demand Grows

Tokyo, Nov. 18 (Jiji Press)–Amid a continuing shift toward nuclear families, demand for postnatal care services that support mothers and newborns after childbirth is rising across Japan. Provided by midwives and trained caregivers, such services offer hands-on child care assistance or short-term newborn care so families can rest and recover. More than 90 pct of municipalities now operate programs that subsidize a portion of residents’ postnatal care fees. Rising demand has intensified competition for postnatal care, effectively making it harder for some families to secure timely appointments. “Services are in short supply and unevenly distributed across regions,” a government official said. In response, private-sector postnatal care providers and other stakeholders have formed an association to coordinate efforts and propose policy measures to the government aimed at expanding access to postnatal care. In the past, three-generation households were common and postnatal women could rely on extended family for help with child care. Today, many couples shoulder parenting on their own. For some mothers, chronic sleep deprivation and constant worry about raising a child contribute to postpartum depression, which has become an increasingly social issue. In April 2021 the central government made municipal efforts to promote postnatal care services mandatory under the revised maternal and child health law. In fiscal 2024, which ended last March, 1,644 municipalities, or about 96 pct of the total, were offering such services. Use among women within a year of childbirth has increased steadily, from 6.1 pct in fiscal 2021 to 10.9 pct in fiscal 2022 and to 15.8 pct in fiscal 2023. Municipalities support physical and mental health services and child care for mothers and infants during the first year after birth. Many local governments partner with hospitals and clinics to make postnatal care affordable and accessible. Services generally fall into three categories: residential care, with vacant hospital beds used for short stays; day services, offering care at a facility on a same-day basis; and outreach services, in which midwives and other professionals visit users’ homes. To ensure sufficient capacity, the central government introduced a framework earlier in fiscal 2025 under which municipalities assess residents’ needs while prefectural governments handle wide-area coordination involving multiple municipalities. In Chuo Ward, Tokyo, one woman in her 30s on child care leave began using the Yuarito Day private postnatal care facility, bringing her baby boy, born last year, for day care after receiving information from the ward office. Both her parents have died, and her husband’s parents are not readily available to help. “We had resolved to raise our son with just the two of us. We felt like we were on the edge of a cliff–if something happened to us, it would be the end,” she said. At the facility she consults staff about child care and leaves her son in their care so she can take breaks and recharge. “Taking care of myself is important. Just knowing there is a place like this gives me a sense of reassurance,” she said with a smile. A six-hour session at Yuarito Day costs 25,000 yen. Since the facility became eligible for financial aid under the ward office’s postnatal care program in July, the out-of-pocket cost for ward residents has been reduced to 5,000 yen. The subsidy has created a new problem: once public aid began, applications flooded in and reservation slots filled up almost immediately. “We realized that many people wanted to use (our service) but couldn’t come because the price was a sticking point,” said Aiko Watanabe, CEO of Josan-she’s Inc., which operates the facility. To raise awareness about the need for better care infrastructure, the company led the launch of the Prenatal and Postnatal Care Innovation Association in September. With participation from other service providers and hospitals, the association plans to urge the government to step up efforts to increase the number of support facilities. “If we don’t act now, (mothers) may decide against having a second child,” Watanabe warned, calling for expanded postnatal support. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]