Abstract
Pediatricians in general hospitals must play a major part in the support system of child rearing during the perinatal period. We sent out questionnaires to 430 mothers who gave birth at Kanazawa National Hospital and at two obstetric facilities in Ishikawa Prefecture, to identify their concerns about newborns and their expectations of our medical services.
The main reason for selecting our hospital for giving birth was the availability of maternal and newborn care in times of sudden, acute incidents during the perinatal period. Many mothers expressed more concerns about babycare after giving birth than while pregnant. After dismissal from the hospital most mothers were uneasy about their new responsibilities (in addition to some physical discomfort) and required personal child rearing advice.
Pediatricians in general hospitals must therefore provide and support for mothers with their child rearing during the first month after giving birth. Such support should contribute to the sound growth of children.
