A Nationwide Survey of Obstetric Care Status on Japan's Islands, with Special Reference to Maternal Transport to the Mainland.

A Nationwide Survey of Obstetric Care Status on Japan's Islands, with Special Reference to Maternal Transport to the Mainland. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2020;250(1):25-29 Authors: Sumikawa S, Kotani K, Kojo T, Matsubara S, Haruyama S Abstract Safe obstetric care is a worldwide requirement. In Japan, a reduced number of obstetricians has prompted the centralization of obstetric facilities, and Japan's islands are expected to experience problems in handling deliveries. Although many pregnant women "move" to the mainland at later gestational weeks, "transport" from the island to the mainland may be occasionally needed when disorders manifest before the "move." Other women plan within-island deliveries; however, transport is required when complications arise. Managing delivery- or pregnancy-related problems may differ in transport by the population size of islands. We investigated the following issues in relation to the population size of Japan's islands: 1) How were deliveries handled on islands? 2) How many pregnant women were transported to the mainland? 3) What was the reason for and what affected transport? A total of 142 municipalities were selected to participate in a questionnaire survey, and 108 institutions from 106 municipalities responded. A comparative analysis by island size was performed using 2014 data: small-sized (population < 1,000), mid-sized (1,000 to 5,000), and large-sized (≥ 5,000). The percentage of women transporte...
Source: The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Tohoku J Exp Med Source Type: research