Visualizing the Harshness of Unspoken Multi-Child Parenting: Revealed as a Social Issue Through Joint Research with Kyushu University's Urban Research Center

Pono Inc. (Location: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, CEO: Chie Ushijima) has collaborated with Kyushu University Urban Research Center (Location: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Center Director: Shunsuke Managi, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor: Mitsuri Takeda), City Aicom Inc. (Location: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, President & CEO: Masaru Ikeda), and Inclusive City Inc. (Location: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, CEO: Yuichi Nakama) to conduct a practical survey and research on "The Impact of Multi-Child Parenting on Parental Mental Health."

The survey received as many as 489 responses. This research has clarified the reality of multi-child parenting through data, substantiating the need for support. Moving forward, based on the data obtained from this research, we aim to expand support originating from "moms" and collectively support the burden as a society.

Furthermore, the results of this research were presented by Ms. Mitsuri Takeda, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at Kyushu University, at the "96th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Public Health" held on March 20, 2026.

■The Reality of Multi-Child Families That Has Been Overlooked

Due to the nature of raising multiple children simultaneously, multi-child parenting is known to impose a significant physical and mental burden. Especially during infancy, it is pointed out that greater burdens tend to arise compared to single-child parenting, such as chronic fatigue from continuous simultaneous caregiving and feelings of isolation due to difficulties in going out or participating in social activities.

"It's hard enough with one, but watching two at once is close to the limit." – Many voices express this sentiment.

Reports indicate that multi-child families have approximately 2.5 to 4 times the risk of child abuse deaths and about 1.5 to 2 times the divorce rate compared to single-child families (*MHLW survey*), indicating that the magnitude of this burden extends beyond family issues and is recognized as a social problem.

On the other hand, the impact of such multi-child parenting on parents' mental health has not been clarified, and it remains unclear what kind of support leads to improvements in mothers' conditions. Consequently, the burden associated with multi-child parenting is often left to the efforts and ingenuity of individual families, potentially leading to it not being fully recognized as a social issue.

* https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/11900000/000520465.pdf

■ This Research Made Possible by the Voices of Those Involved and On-the-Ground Expertise

The multi-child pregnancy and childcare support app "moms," operated by Pono Inc., has approximately 7,200 participating households raising twins, triplets, and other multiples.

Through this research, in collaboration with 12 multi-child support organizations nationwide, we have succeeded in collecting real-world voices and lifestyle data that have not been gathered before.

Furthermore, by analyzing this data at Kyushu University, the reliability of the research has been secured, providing insights into the necessity of multi-child parenting support.

■ The Burden Structure of Multi-Child Parenting Revealed by the Survey

This research has revealed that the burden in multi-child parenting is not merely a matter of the volume of childcare, but a "structural burden" arising from the overlap of multiple factors.

First, mothers raising multiples tend to have lower satisfaction in all aspects of life compared to mothers of single children, with significantly lower satisfaction confirmed in life, work, and economic aspects. These trends were consistently observed in well-being indicators and psychological stress indicators.

Furthermore, even in analyses that adjusted for the mother's age and the number of children, being a parent of multiples was associated with a significant decrease in life satisfaction, suggesting that multi-child parenting itself may be impacting parental well-being.

Additionally, while mothers of single children tend to show increasing childcare satisfaction as their children grow, parents of multiples showed a trend of decreasing satisfaction, revealing a structure where the childcare burden is not easily alleviated by the mere passage of time.

It is thought that this background is influenced by the fact that the burden of raising multiple children simultaneously tends to persist long-term and is not sufficiently alleviated by the passage of time alone.

Moreover, an analysis of factors affecting mothers' well-being indicators revealed that the mother's income, the father's participation in childcare, and the community support environment contribute to its improvement.

Based on the above results, it is considered that the burden in multi-child parenting cannot be resolved solely through individual efforts and ingenuity, but is a social issue that can only be alleviated through comprehensive support such as economic assistance, improvement of workplace environments, cooperation within the family, and community support systems.

■ Towards a Society Where Support Reaches All - Implementing Research Findings into Society

Based on the insights gained from this research, Pono Inc. will promote the establishment of a system where support reaches multi-child families by utilizing data and technology.

Starting with the multi-child pregnancy and childcare support app "moms," we will strengthen the foundation for delivering necessary support information and services at appropriate times, while also expanding connections among parents themselves.

Furthermore, in the future, we aim to build a support model where the burden of multi-child families is supported by society as a whole, in collaboration with municipalities, medical institutions, and companies.

With this research as a starting point, we will contribute to the realization of a society where everyone can raise children with peace of mind, by transforming the challenges in multi-child parenting from "unseen" to "things that society must support.".

■ Comments from Cooperative Organization (NPO Connects, Representative Director NAKAHARA)

I feel that the results of this research are close to what we have felt on the ground. The difference in happiness is not that large between parents of multiples and parents of single children. I believe the love for children and the desire to raise them are the same whether it's single or multiple births.

However, satisfaction in work, economy, and marital relations were all significantly lower for parents of multiples, which was reflected in the overall lower life satisfaction. It becomes difficult to work, income decreases, and there's less余裕, making marital relations also tough. Furthermore, they cannot form connections with other multi-child families, and their isolation deepens.

Child-rearing is not something that can be completed solely within the home. The true form of child-rearing is being raised within connections with other multi-child families, the community, and society, and I feel the key to happiness lies there. Child-rearing in isolation is nothing but harsh. NPO Connects uses "connecting" these relationships as the starting point for support.

■ Overview of Academic Presentation

Conference Name: Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Public Health

Presentation Date & Time: March 20, 2026

Presentation Topic: Research Findings Report on "The Impact of Multi-Child Parenting on Parental Mental Health"

Presenter: Mitsuri Takeda, Kyushu University Urban Research Center

■ "moms" App Overview

Name: moms

Launch Date: March 5, 2025 (Year of Twins, Day of Triplets)

Download Count: 7,376 (as of March 24, 2026) in 15 countries

Compatible OS: iOS / Android

Provided by: Pono Inc.

Overview: A dedicated pregnancy and childcare app for multi-child families raising twins, triplets, etc. Offers features such as information exchange, support functions, and a shop.

▼Download the app here

App Store (iOS)

Google Play (Android)

■About Pono Inc.

We develop and operate "moms," a pregnancy and childcare app specialized for multi-child families such as twins and triplets. It is currently used in 15 countries and offers features like parent communities, multi-child SOS, and a SHOP function.
We also build an ecosystem that returns parent voices to society by collaborating with local governments, companies, and organizations. Furthermore, we aim to resolve isolation and information scarcity by connecting multi-child families with companies through engagement marketing, thereby improving well-being in multi-child parenting.

Company Name: Pono Inc.

Location: 〒810-0041 Fukuoka Growth Next, 2-6-11 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City

Representative Director: Chie Ushijima

Date of Establishment: February 5, 2025 (Year of Twins, Day of Triplets)

Business Description: App development and operation, multi-childcare support services.

moms Service Page: https://moms-app.com

moms Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moms__app/