Perinatal health care in Japan

The maternal and infant health care system and vital statistics in Japan are reviewed. The improvement of socioeconomic conditions, higher education for women, comprehensive health care provided by the government, regionalization for high-risk pregnancy, medical advances in the care of pregnant women and neonates, the significant decline of perinatal and neonatal mortality rates in recent decades are all contributing factors in improved maternal-infant health care. On the basis of recent statistics showing that the survival rate of extremely low birth weight infants increased over 80%, the viability limit defined by Eugenic Protection Act was amended in 1991 from 24 to 22 completed weeks of gestation.