| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: Ways of dealing with the deaths of children depend on culture, time, and place. In Japan, until around the 1950s, when newborn babies or infants died families usually had them buried in a simple ritual and prayed for their swift rebirth. There is an ever-increasing need for bereavement care in the obstetric field for mothers and their families after miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant deaths. This change is related to transformations in the perception of the fetus. The birthrate in Japan has been decreasing, so the experience of pregnancy and childbirth seems to be ever more precious to mothers. Since the 1970s, ultrasound has provided clear images of the fetus. More recently, 3D renderings and even “4D” video images allow parents to “see” the fetus while it is still in the womb, which has further affected the fetus-parent relationship. In this article, I point up the transformation in perspectives on the fetus in relation to developments in medical technology, and analyze new rituals related to the death of a fetus or baby, and to bereavement care. Further, I consider the potential contribution of folklore studies and cultural anthropology to an understanding of new practices related to the deaths of fetuses and infants. |
