News Navigator: How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting Japan's infant health checks?
December 21, 2020 (Mainichi Japan)
A leaflet from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare encourages guardians to bring their infants in for a checkup.
TOKYO -- The Mainichi Shimbun answers some common questions readers may have about the coronavirus pandemic's effects on health checkups for infants in Japan.
Question: I heard that infant health checks are being affected due to the pandemic. Until what age can children receive these checks?
Answer: The Maternal and Child Health Act requires that all municipal governments offer checks to infants at the ages of 1 1/2 and 3. The aim is to detect diseases at an early stage and observe children's development so that the necessary support can be provided. The checks can also be carried out at other times deemed necessary by local governments, such as when children are aged between 3 and 4 months.