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Maternal and Perinatal Mortality and Their Background in Japan
Author(s) -
Shinagawa Shinryo,
Katagiri Seiichi
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
asia‐oceania journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 0389-2328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0756.1980.tb00503.x
Subject(s) - perinatal mortality , medicine , infant mortality , life expectancy , low birth weight , obstetrics , pediatrics , birth weight , incidence (geometry) , demography , pregnancy , population , environmental health , fetus , genetics , physics , sociology , optics , biology
Obstetrical and perinatal health care observed in a Japanese setting were mainly presented by focusing on the maternal and perinatal mortality. Since 1868, particularly since 1945, the Japanese people and government have endeavored sincerely to improve obstetrical and perinatal health care, and in 1977 obtained the following results: maternal mortality rate was 2.3 per 10,000 livebirths; perinatal mortality rate was 14.1 per 1,000 livebirths; 99.2 percent of women gave birth in obstetrical facilities; incidence of low birth‐weight male and female neonates was 4.61 percent and 5.40 percent, respectively; mean bodyweight in male and female neonates was 3240 gm and 3150 gm; mean number of children per couple was 1.8; neonates born to mothers from 20 to 35 years old occupied 95.5 percent of neonates; mean life expectancy of female neonates at birth was 77.95 years. However, on the other hand, many socio‐traditional factors are inhibiting a further improvement in obstetrical and perinatal health care in Japan. Some of them are a mal‐distribution of obstetrical and perinatal resources, and delay in systematization and standardization of medical institutions. We hope the errors found here in Japan will be avoided by other Asia‐Oceanic countries.