There is a growing number of households having difficulty paying childbirth costs in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
A lump-sum childbirth allowance of ¥420,000 is granted to women belonging to the public health insurance program when they give birth to reduce the financial burden, but that alone may not be enough to cover all costs.
The income decline in many households due to hard times amid the pandemic has brought the quandary to the surface.
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