The estimated number of children under 15 in Japan as of April 1 fell by 350,000 from a year before to 13.66 million, down for the 44th consecutive year, the internal affairs ministry said Sunday. The country’s child population hit the lowest level since comparable data became available in 1950. The ministry released the data a day before Children’s Day.
The legislation for revisions to child welfare and other laws in Japan is designed to make it easier to restrict meetings of parents with their children under the protection of child consultation centers. Following the revisions, it will be possible to place such restrictions on parents and other guardians in cases in which abuse is suspected but not yet officially recognized. This will help prevent centers from falling into trouble with parents.
The estimated number of children under 15 in Japan as of April 1 fell by 350,000 from a year before to 13.66 million, down for the 44th consecutive year, the internal affairs ministry said Sunday. The country’s child population hit the lowest level since comparable data became available in 1950. The ministry released the data a day before Children’s Day.
The government has begun to strengthen its support for local governments to promote health checkups for infants and toddlers at the age of 5 years old, as it is effective in early detection of developmental disabilities. The program aims to provide appropriate support for children with developmental disorders before they start school, as it is easy to recognize the characteristics of developmental disorders. While local governments are obligated to conduct health checks for 18-month-olds and 3-year-olds, and “school entry health checks” conducted about six months before entering elementary school, 5-year-old health checks are optional, and only 14% of local governments conducted them in fiscal 2011. The Child and Family Agency aims to implement 100% nationwide by fiscal 2028.
The legislation for revisions to child welfare and other laws is designed to make it easier to restrict meetings of parents with their children under the protection of child consultation centers.
Following the revisions, it will be possible to place such restrictions on parents and other guardians in cases in which abuse is suspected but not yet officially recognized. This will help prevent centers from falling into trouble with parents.
Whooping cough has swept across Japan, with the number of cases reported so far this year exceeding that of the entire year of 2024. From the beginning of this year to March 30, the cumulative number of whooping cough patients reported by medical institutions nationwide was 4,771, exceeding 4,054 cases reported in the 12 months of 2024.
Stab wounds are concentrated on the upper body of 16 year old Tokyo high school girl, Waka Kato, who was found dead in a house in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, two days ago, police sources said Wednesday. According to the police, an autopsy found that Kato died of hemorrhagic shock on Sunday or so. Many stab wounds and slashes on the back of her upper body, notably above the shoulders, suggest the possibility that she was attacked from behind, people familiar with the autopsy results said.
As many as 49.2 pct of needy households with infants have experienced an inability to buy disposable diapers due to economic reasons, according to a survey by international nongovernmental organization Save the Children Japan.
An inability to buy baby formula has been experienced by 39.6 pct.
According to the survey, conducted online between June and August last year, 74.6 pct of respondents said they changed diapers less often when they couldn’t buy diapers, while an inability to buy powdered milk led 41.1 pct to feed babies with diluted formula and 27.9 pct to use less of it.
Exposure to secondhand smoke during pregnancy increases by about 2.3 times the risk of placental abruption, a condition in which part of the placenta separates from the uterine wall before childbirth, according to a study conducted by a team from Japan’s Tohoku University. It found that pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke for four to seven days a week and at least an hour a day had 2.34 times the risk of suffering placental abruption compared with those who were not. The risk was 2.21 times higher among pregnant women who smoked at least 11 cigarettes per day compared with nonsmokers.
An organization made up of parents of severely physically and mentally disabled children receiving medical care at home has requested Sendai City to expand hospital beds and day care services. The organization visited Aoba Ward Office in Sendai City on March 24th and handed in a request letter calling for an increase in short-term hospital beds for severely physically and mentally disabled children and adults who play an important role when their family members are unwell, and an expansion of day care services that they use on a daily basis.
Barrier Free Japan