Regarding the Sept. 28 article "191 multiple refusals of pregnant women found": The world knows that the population of Japan is declining. I have heard some say that this is due to marriages in which a man finds a wife only to take care of him. I have heard others say it is because married couples don't want to have children.

Could it be that the reason that there is a lower birthrate in Japan is that the lack of adequate care for pregnant women has become well-known socially, even though the news media seemed to learn about it just two months ago?

I realize that there are socially accepted topics to discuss in public, while knowing where a yakuza office is, or where to trade pachinko prizes for money, or many other public secrets is information that is disseminated among friends, colleagues, and from senpai to kohai.

If one of the causes of a low birthrate in Japan is indeed the inadequate care of pregnant women, is that related to the knowledge that being an obstetrician means that one would not make very much money?

ben fotovich