02499nas a2200397   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002200055653001600077653001000093653001500103653001800118653002100136653001100157653002600168653001100194653001100205653002000216653001000236653002100246653001200267653000900279653001600288653001400304653001800318653001400336100001500350700001300365700001200378245008400390856007600474300001100550490000700561520151900568022001402087       2009                            d  c2009 Sep10aAbortion, induced10aCatholicism10aChild10aChild Care10aChild Rearing10aChild, Preschool10aFemale10aHistory, 20th Century10aHumans10aInfant10aInfant, Newborn10aJapan10aLeprosy colonies10aleprosy10aMale10aParturition10aPregnancy10aUnited States10aVasectomy1 aMoriyama K1 aKikuch I1 aIshii N00a[Children born to Hansen's disease patients in Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima, Japan].  uhttps://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/hansen/78/3/78_3_231/_pdf/-char/en  a231-500 v783 a<p>In the Japanese leprosaria, it was very difficult or almost impossible for leprosy patients to give birth to their children. There were various reasons for this situation. Leprosy in the women mostly worsened in pregnancy and some of the children developed leprosy. Because of the chronic nature of the disease, marriage was encouraged in Japanese leprosaria, so that vasectomy was usually enforced in men who were wed, while artificial abortion was enforced in pregnant women. The only one exception was the situation of the Amami Wako-en Leprosarium. The Wako-en Leprosarium was started in 1943, and between 1946 and 1953, it was under American rule. Later it was transferred to Japanese rule. Religions such as Buddhism, Christianity and other religions greatly helped with leprosy patients, and in the Wakoen, it was Catholicism which prevailed. Catholic believer Joan Matsubara (later the secretary of Wako-en), Father Patrick Finn, Kaoru Ohira (director) outlined how children born to Hansen's disease patients would be grown up and made the internal rules of the couples' dormitory, while this was impossible in other leprosaria. Between 1953 and 1954, children were brought up by Matsubara's family or nurses. And since November 1954, children were brought up at nurseries (firstly named "Children's House" and later at "Naze Engel House" and children between 2 and 3 years went to "White Lily House". The children could meet their parents at times and now they are full-fledged grown-up citizens.</p>
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