Support for Isolated Pregnant Women: Ensure New Life Will Be Cherished

There is no end to the occurrence of cases in which women are unable to discuss their unexpected pregnancies with anyone and they become isolated. There have also been conspicuous incidents in which women were driven to the point of abusing or killing their children after giving birth.

It is necessary to create a system that will allow new life to be cherished.

Last month, an incident occurred in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, in which a young mother who gave birth at home alone was arrested for allegedly killing her newborn baby by burying the baby in the snow.

The specific circumstances remain unclear, but was there no way to prevent this worst-case scenario from happening? It is unduly tragic that a new life, which should have been welcomed with joy, was taken by their own parent.

According to the Children and Families Agency, the number of children who died due to abuse in fiscal 2022 was 56, of whom 15 died shortly after they were born. In these incidents, the most common perpetrator was the child’s birth mother.

While the nation’s birth rate continues to decline, the lives of small children have been lost. It is desirable for society as a whole to think about how such a tragedy can be prevented.

The number of isolated pregnant women with difficulties who were recognized by local governments as being in need of support increased to 8,327 in fiscal 2020, nearly 10 times the figure reported a decade earlier. There are various circumstances behind this, such as struggling to make a living due to unemployment, violence from partners and others, and becoming pregnant too young.

First of all, it is hoped that efforts will be made to improve consultation services for isolated pregnant women and publicize such services through social media and other means in order to make them known to young people.

This fiscal year, the central government launched a program to subsidize the operational costs of support centers for isolated pregnant women. The program is aimed at supporting local governments, nonprofit organizations and other entities that help pregnant women from childbirth to until they become self-reliant by providing them with meals and temporary accommodations.

However, as of October last year, only 20 local governments, such as Saitama, Hyogo, Ehime and Okinawa prefectures, had such support centers. It is hoped that the central government will provide information about relevant prior cases to allow the information to be used in other areas.

There are many areas that have been plagued not only by a lack of support centers but also a shortage of midwives, nurses and other specialist personnel who can provide care to pregnant women. Is it possible to make use of such professionals who have temporarily stopped working to raise their own children?

It is also crucial to encourage pregnant women to become independent by providing them with advice on childcare and employment after their child is born. If a woman is unable to raise the child, it is necessary to explore options such as adoption.

In addition, the responsibility of the fathers should not be overlooked. Fathers who have the financial means should be urged to bear the cost of raising the child.

However, there have been cases in which these fathers are also facing difficulties, such as living in poverty. Supporting couples and children to enable them to live as a family is also an issue to be considered.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 2, 2025)