As many as 49.2% of needy households with infants have experienced an inability to buy disposable diapers due to economic reasons, according to a survey by nongovernmental organization Save the Children Japan.
An inability to buy baby formula has been experienced by 39.6%.
According to the survey, conducted online between June and August last year, 74.6% of respondents said they changed diapers less often when they couldn't buy diapers, while an inability to buy powdered milk led 41.1% to feed babies with diluted formula and 27.9% to use less of it.
When asked for one or more opinions on welfare benefits for households in need, 12.5% said they wanted to use the system but it was difficult to use, while the same percentage said they couldn't figure out how to use the system.
"When you consider how infants' hygiene and health could be affected, it's necessary to take measures urgently, including handing out disposable diapers and other goods and strengthening the consultation system," an official of the group said.
The survey covered 1,873 households with children age three or younger that had received support from the group. Valid replies were received from 480 households, or 25.6%, of which more than 70% were single-parent households.
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