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Background: Fertility treatments help many infertile couples to have children. However, disparities exist in access to fertility tests and treatments. We investigated the association between household income and medical help-seeking for fertility in Japan. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using nationally representative data from the National Fertility Survey 2015. Respondents were 6598 married women younger than 50 years old. The primary outcome was medical help-seeking for fertility among those who experienced fertility problems. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the association between household income and medical help-seeking, adjusting for age, length of marriage, educational level, employment status, number of children, childbearing desires, living with parents, and region of residence. Results: Among 2253 (34%) women who experienced fertility problems, 1154 (51%) sought medical help. The proportion of help-seekers increased linearly from 43% in the low-income group (< 4 million Japanese yen [JPY]) to 59% in the high-income group (≥ 8 million JPY) (P for trend < 0.001). Respondents with upper-middle (6–8 million JPY) or high household income were more likely to seek medical help, compared to those with low household income: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.37 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.86) and aOR 1.78 (95% CI: 1.29–2.47), respectively. Conclusions: We found that higher household income was associated with a higher probability of seeking medical help among Japanese women who experienced fertility problem. Along with policy discussion about additional financial support, further studies from societal, cultural, or psychological views are required. Plain Language Summary: Fertility treatments have helped millions of people to have a child. Although financial factors are known to play an important role in the decision to use fertility treatments, no previous studies have investigated how socioeconomic factors affect medical help-seeking for fertility in Japan. Therefore, we assessed the association between household income and medical help-seeking among couples with fertility problems in Japan, using nationally representative data from the National Fertility Survey 2015. Of the 6598 respondents (married women under 50 years old), one-third (2253) reported worrying about fertility problems, and half of those women (1154) sought medical help for fertility-related issues. The proportion of help-seekers was highest (59%) among those with high household income and lowest (43%) among those with low household income with a significant linear trend. Even after accounting for age, length of marriage, educational level, employment status, and other possibly related factors, those with higher household income were more likely to seek medical help for fertility tests and treatments. Japan provides various sources of financial support for fertility-related care, such as health insurance coverage for tests and early-stage treatments and partial subsidies for assisted reproductive technology treatments. However, the results indicate that further policy discussion about additional financial support and further studies focusing on barriers to care in Japan could help improve the situations for those with fertility problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of cerebral palsy (CP) is influenced by perinatal medicine and regional medical systems. We investigated the recent incidence of CP and the current problems of children with CP in living at home under an advanced perinatal medical system in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Methods: A clinical datasheet survey was performed among 13 hospitals and six rehabilitation facilities treating children with CP born in Tochigi Prefecture to estimate the incidence of CP among children born between 2009 and 2013. The severity of motor and intellectual impairment, presumed causal factors, complications, and provided medical interventions were investigated and compared between preterm and term‐born children with CP. Results: The incidence of CP was 1.6 per 1000 live births. Shorter gestation period and lower birthweight were associated with a higher incidence of CP. Fifty‐one percent of children with CP were non‐ambulatory and 55% had severe to profound intellectual impairment. Episodes of neonatal asphyxia and periventricular leukomalacia were the most frequent causal factors; both were significantly more frequent in preterm than in term‐born children. Approximately 30% of children with CP had respiratory disorders, dysphagia, or epilepsy; 62% received medical interventions, including medication, mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy, tube feeding, and intraoral/intranasal suction. Conclusion: We found the incidence of CP to be lower in comparison to previous Japanese studies. However, the motor and intellectual impairments were severe, and many children with CP and their families were burdened by daily medical care. Public support systems should be developed, as well as the perinatal medical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Due to the lack of national perinatal registries, population‐wide descriptive statistics on cesarean deliveries in Japan are unknown. We aim to describe cesarean deliveries for overall and multiple pregnancies using the Japan National Database of health insurance claims. Methods: We calculated the national and prefectural cesarean delivery rates for overall and multiple pregnancies in 2014. We described maternal morbidities (e.g., blood transfusion) and the place and type of the institutions providing prenatal and perinatal care. Results: The national cesarean delivery rates were 18.6% overall and 82.7% for women with multiple pregnancies. Prefectural cesarean delivery rates for overall and multiple pregnancies varied from 12.5% to 24.2% and from 49.2% to 100%, respectively, showing a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.59, p < 0.001). Overall, 1.4% of cesarean patients received an allogeneic blood transfusion, compared to 3.2% for those with multiple pregnancies. In addition, 65.9% of overall cesarean deliveries occurred at hospitals with ≥20 beds, whereas 94.6% of cesarean patients with multiple pregnancies delivered at hospitals. Older patients were more likely to receive their cesarean section at a different institution than their first visit within the same prefecture, but trans‐prefectural movement during pregnancy covered by health insurance was most frequent among those in their early thirties: 7.0% overall and 10.7% for multiple pregnancies. Conclusions: The overall cesarean delivery rate in Japan was optimal, but the rate was high for multiple pregnancies, with large regional differences. Data on patient movement across institutions and areas would help to improve the perinatal care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor (DPP4i) is widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in several countries such as Japan, whereas biguanide (BG; mostly metformin) is recommended as a first‐line antidiabetic medication in many countries according to evidence mainly from Western countries. Although previous studies reported that DPP4i may be more efficacious for East Asians, direct comparisons of effectiveness and cost between DPP4i and BG have never been conducted in East Asia. Methods: We extracted claims and medical check‐up data (observation period from January 2010 to March 2016) of adult patients under 70 years old with T2DM who received DPP4i or BG as first‐line antidiabetic drugs. Changes in HbA1c and BMI before and 2 years after the first prescription and annual cost of antidiabetic medication during the second year were compared between the DPP4i and BG groups. Results: We extracted 1034 patients who received DPP4i and 365 patients who received BG as the first antidiabetic medication (male sex, 83.0% and 84.9%; HbA1c (mean [SD]), 7.7 [1.4]% and 7.9 [1.4]%; BMI, 26.6 [4.5] kg/m2 and 28.1 [4.3] kg/m2). After propensity score matching, changes in HbA1c and BMI were not significantly different between the groups (HbA1c, −0.67% vs −0.80% [P =.28]; BMI, −0.3 kg/m2 vs −0.4 kg/m2 [P =.42]). Annual cost of antidiabetic drugs was significantly higher in the DPP4i group (US $458.7 vs 273.3 [P <.001]). Many patients continued each medication at the follow‐up visit (78.3% of the DPP4i group and 73.7% of the BG groups). Conclusions: The first antidiabetic prescription for the patient was mostly continued thereafter. BG may be recommendable as the first‐line medication for patients with T2DM, especially for middle‐aged, male population with greater BMI. It is worth addressing the discrepancy between practice in Japan and that recommended in international guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: High cesarean section (CS) rates in middle and high‐income countries are partly attributable to provider factors, such as staffing patterns and fear of litigation. However, the relationship between CS rates and healthcare resources in the community is poorly understood. Official data on CS rates has been particularly limited in Japan. In this study, we examined nationwide CS statistics and evaluated the association with local resources for perinatal care. Methods: We used accumulated data for CS registered in the Japan National Database of health insurance claims in 2013 and calculated crude and age‐standardized CS rates at national and prefectural levels. We analyzed the ecological associations with supply of obstetricians and institution and scale of obstetric facilities using multiple regression models. Results: There were 190 361 cesarean deliveries in 2013, giving an overall CS rate of 18.5% (elective CS rates 11.0%), which varied by prefecture from 14.0% to 25.6%. In multiple regression analyses, the areal number of obstetricians (standardized regression coefficient [β] = −0.58), the proportion of births at small‐scale institutions (β = 0.36) and the number of beds at neonatal intensive care units per birth (β = −0.20) were significantly associated with the age‐standardized elective CS rate after adjusting for socioeconomic factors (R2 for the model = 0.40). Conclusions: Higher elective CS rates might be associated with limited or unconsolidated medical resources. Policymakers should be aware of regional differences and the possible effects of perinatal care resources on CS rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of this study was to calculate and assess the cost of assisted reproductive technology ( ART) treatment cycles and live-birth events in Japan in 2010. Material and Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 238 185 ART cycles, registered with the national registry of assisted reproductive treatment during 2010. Costs were calculated, using a decision analysis model. Results The average cost per live birth was ¥1 974 000. This varied from ¥1 155 000 in women aged < 30 years to ¥50 189 000 in women aged ≥ 45, which was 29.6 times higher than that of women aged 35-39 years. This rose sharply in the early 40s and upwards. Public funding per live birth was ¥442 000. This was ¥6 118 000 in women aged ≥ 45, 15.4 times higher than that of the 35-39-year-old age group. Conclusions The costs and public funding of a live birth after ART treatment rises with age due to the lower success rates in older women. It may provide economic background to improve the current subsidy system for ART and to provide practical knowledge about fertility for the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]