Maternal and Child Health Handbook App 'Boshi-mo' Launches in Omitama City, Ibaraki Prefecture!

Boshi-mo Co., Ltd.'s maternal and child health handbook app, "Boshi-mo," has been officially introduced in Omitama City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and will begin offering its services as "Omitama Kosodate" (Omitama Child-rearing) from Wednesday, April 1st.

Omitama City's fundamental philosophy is "Creating a kind city where children's futures shine, nurtured with family and community." The city aims to build a community where everyone can support each other with compassion, so that the region where children are born and raised becomes a beloved hometown they wish to live in forever.

This time, "Boshi-mo," which allows digital recording of paper maternal and child health handbook data and has been adopted by over 830 municipalities, was selected. Its operation begins in line with the Child and Family Agency's policy*1 to promote the utilization of electronic maternal and child health handbooks and maternal and child health DX.

Furthermore, the "Online Reservation Service" of "Kosodate DX®," a digital transformation support service for local government childcare-related projects available as an additional function of "Boshi-mo," has also been launched. This enables app-based reservations for "Hello Baby" classes for pregnant women, as well as postpartum care, prenatal and postnatal health check-ups, and newborn hearing tests.

◆ "Boshi-mo" launched in Omitama City, Ibaraki Prefecture, packed with generous support for child-rearing households!

Omitama City implements a "Childbirth Celebration Project" as part of its childcare support. Childbirth celebration money is provided: 50,000 yen for the first child, 100,000 yen for the second, 150,000 yen for the third, 200,000 yen for the fourth, and 250,000 yen for the fifth child and beyond. The amount of support increases with the number of children, providing substantial assistance to multi-child households and other child-rearing families.

Additionally, the city is working to reduce the burden on child-rearing households through the "Housework Support Subsidy Project." By subsidizing a portion of the fees for housework support services such as meal preparation and cleanup, house cleaning and organization, laundry, shopping for daily necessities, childcare assistance for infants and children, and accompaniment during outings, the city aims to cater to diverse family needs and promote an environment where everyone can raise children with peace of mind.

The city is actively promoting the use of digital technology with the aim of providing stable administrative services. As part of this initiative, the "Boshi-mo" maternal and child health handbook app and the "Online Reservation Service" of "Kosodate DX," available as an additional function, have been introduced. This will reduce the workload of staff and streamline procedures for residents, making it more convenient for child-rearing households to utilize the city's initiatives.

◆ Localized childcare app strongly supports simplification for residents and staff!

"Omitama Kosodate," adopted by Omitama City, is a service compatible with smartphones, tablets, and PCs. It is equipped with convenient features that help busy mothers and fathers with childcare and work, such as recording and managing health data for pregnant women and children, managing vaccination schedules, providing advice on childbirth and child-rearing, a sharing function with family members like grandparents living in distant areas, and notifying users of local information distributed by the city.

Furthermore, with the introduction of the "Online Reservation Service," users can make online reservations for postpartum care, prenatal and postnatal health check-ups, and newborn hearing tests. This allows users, even during pregnancy when they are busy and their physical condition tends to be unstable, or during child-rearing, to make various reservations and applications 24 hours a day from anywhere via the app, which is expected to reduce the burden of procedures. For municipal staff, online procedures enable them to confirm application information in advance, aiming for more personalized support for each resident.

Going forward, we will continue to develop mechanisms for easier procedures and provide seamless, personalized support to alleviate the burden and anxiety of child-rearing households, thereby promoting a convenient, safe, and secure child-rearing environment.

＜Main Features of "Omitama Kosodate"＞

【Guidance on various systems and services provided by the local government】

● Information on various subsidy systems appropriate for pregnancy and child-rearing periods, such as the child medical expense subsidy system and child allowance, and guidance on application procedures.

● Various announcements distributed by the local government.

● Reservations for Hello Baby classes, postpartum care, prenatal and postnatal health check-ups, and newborn hearing tests.

【Record and Management】

● Record of physical condition and weight during pregnancy (graphed).

● Record of fetal and child growth (graphed).

● Confirmation of obesity/underweight status using height-weight curves (graphed).

● Vaccinations: Automatic display of standard vaccination dates, management of scheduled and actual vaccinations, reminder alerts for missed vaccinations.

● Health check-up information: Record health check-up data for pregnant women and children.

【Information Provision and Advice】

● Basic information on childbirth and child-rearing.

● Knowledge and advice tailored to pregnancy week and child's age.

● Videos on topics such as baby bathing and making baby food.

● Guidance on nearby facilities (hospitals, kindergartens/daycares, parks, childcare facilities, etc.).

【Child-rearing Diary: "First Time Milestones"】

● Record child's growth with photos.

● Upload photos on anniversaries using "First Time Milestone Templates" with dates and words (e.g., first fetal movement, kick, rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing, walking – approximately 150 items can be recorded).

【Data Sharing】

● Child's growth records and health data can be viewed on family smartphones and other devices, and can also be posted to SNS.

Our company's vision is to reduce the friction coefficient related to pregnancy and child-rearing to zero. To achieve this, we are promoting the further expansion and collaboration of support areas through "Kosodate DX®"*2 (e.g., prenatal/postnatal check-ups, vaccinations, infant check-ups), the establishment of an all-in-one stop for childcare-related applications and procedures, and the integration of maternal and child health information with related organizations (medical, childcare/education, specialized institutions, etc.). Through these efforts, we aim to co-create a "safe and simple" child-rearing society with local communities by alleviating parents' "anxiety and burden" and providing "peace of mind and convenience."

Service Name: Omitama Kosodate Monthly Fee (incl. tax): Free Access Methods

・App: Search for "Boshi-mo" on the App Store or Google Play (Supported OS: Android 8.0 or higher, iOS 15.0 or higher) ・Web Browser: Access https://www.mchh.jp

※Users residing outside the target municipalities can also use the service, but please check the official website for information specific to your municipality. ※Available features may partially differ depending on your city/ward/town/village of residence.

※1: Child and Family Agency website "Policy for Promoting Child Policy DX 2025 Reference Materials"

https://www.cfa.go.jp/assets/contents/node/basic_page/field_ref_resources/6cfab22c-d2bf-4dd1-81ea-49308519ac3a/6f948f38/20250630_councils_kodomo_seisaku_DX_6cfab22c_08.pdf

※2: Details of the "Kosodate DX®" service can be found here: https://www.mchh.jp/boshimo-kosodatedx

※"Kosodate DX" is a registered trademark of Boshi-mo Co., Ltd.

※Google Play and Android are trademarks or registered trademarks of Google LLC.

※App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

※iOS is the OS name of Apple Inc. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco Systems, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and is used under license.