Impact of advanced maternal age pregnancy and birth in Japan

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26350044
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Home economics/Human life
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: ITO Yukari 大阪大学, 国際公共政策研究科, 招へい准教授 (90399618)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 安藤 香織 奈良女子大学, 生活環境科学系, 准教授 (40324959) ; 瀬戸山 晃一 京都府立医科大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (00379075)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 高年齢妊娠 / 高年齢出産 / 産科医療 / 不妊治療 / 新型出生前診断

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of our study is to identify the financial and psychological requirements involved in support systems for childbirth and childbearing toward growing number of advanced maternal age pregnancy and birth in Japan.
Firstly, we conducted the questionnaire survey at mother’s class at the quantitative phase in order to investigate health service use and selection of the medical institution by age. Secondly, we designed subsequent qualitative study by using the results from the initial quantitative study. We interviewed health professionals to identify the problems associated with advanced maternal age in Japan at the qualitative phase in order to identify the problems of pregnancy and childbirth with advanced maternal age. We observed a clear increasing trend in pregnancy and childbirth among women over 40 years of age in recent decades in Japan. With weakening of community bonds, mothers find childbirth and child-rearing to be a burden.

Free Research Field

生活経済　キャリア形成　社会保障論