Childcare assistance device, childcare assistance method, and childcare assistance program

Abstract

To determine the relationship between a child and a caregiver.SOLUTION: Provided is a childcare assistance device comprising: a microbiota analysis data acquisition unit that acquires child microbiota analysis data which is obtained by analyzing a child microbiota collected from a child, and caregiver microbiota analysis data which can be obtained by analyzing a caregiver microbiota collected from a child caregiver; a β diversity index derivation unit that derives, on the basis of the acquired child microbiota analysis data and the acquired caregiver microbiota analysis data, a β diversity index indicating the degree of difference between the diversity of the child microbiota and the diversity of the caregiver microbiota as an index indicating the similarity between the child microbiota analysis data and the caregiver microbiota analysis data; and a relationship determination unit that determines the relationship between the child and the caregiver on the basis of the derived β diversity index.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a childcare support device, a childcare support method, and a childcare support program. [Background technology]

[0002] In the above technical field, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for determining a score indicating the degree of health of a user's intestinal environment and the type of intestinal flora based on the user's intestinal bacteria data, and for notifying the user of suggestions for improving their health condition based on the score and type (Claim 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 270081 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the technology described in Patent Document 1 enables a user to grasp his / her own health condition, it does not allow a user to determine the relationship between a child and a caregiver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, a child-rearing support device according to the present invention comprises: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit that acquires child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; a β diversity index derivation unit that derives a β diversity index that represents a degree of difference between the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora as an index representing a similarity between the child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data based on the acquired child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination unit that determines a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on the derived β diversity index; Equipped with:

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a childcare support method according to the present invention includes: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; a β diversity index derivation step of deriving a β diversity index that represents a degree of difference between the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora as an index representing a similarity between the child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data based on the acquired child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on the derived β diversity index; Includes.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the childcare support program according to the present invention comprises: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; a β diversity index derivation step of deriving a β diversity index that represents a degree of difference between the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora as an index representing a similarity between the child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data based on the acquired child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on the derived β diversity index; to be executed by the computer.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, a child-rearing support device according to the present invention comprises: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit that acquires child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; an α diversity index derivation unit that derives a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination unit that determines a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on a ratio between the derived child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index; Equipped with:

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a childcare support method according to the present invention includes: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; an α diversity index derivation step of deriving a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data; A relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on a ratio of the derived child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index; Includes.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the childcare support program according to the present invention comprises: a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; an α diversity index derivation step of deriving a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data; A relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on a ratio of the derived child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index; to be executed by the computer. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, the relationship between a child and a caregiver can be determined. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the childcare support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 1 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of a child-rearing support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of determining a relationship based on child-rearing stress in the child-rearing support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of determining a relationship based on PBI in the child-rearing support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a determination content table included in the child-rearing support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram for explaining a hardware configuration of a child-rearing support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of the child-rearing support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a child-rearing support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B]FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of determining a relationship using an α diversity index in the child care support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a similarity table included in the child-rearing support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a hardware configuration of a child-rearing support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a child-rearing support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a child-rearing support device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a suggestion table included in the child care support device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a suggestion table included in the child care support device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a hardware configuration of a child-rearing support device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of a child-rearing support device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the results of multiple regression analysis of the determination results of the relationship between a child and a caregiver by the child-rearing support device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing coefficients used in multiple regression analysis of the determination results of the relationship between a child and a caregiver by the child-rearing support device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations, numerical values, process flows, functional elements, etc. described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and are free to be modified or changed, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the following description.

[0014] [First embodiment] A childcare support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the childcare support device 100 according to this embodiment. The childcare support device 100 is a device that determines the relationship between a child 110 and a caregiver 111 based on the diversity (similarity) of bacterial flora collected from both the child 110 and the caregiver 111. In the childcare support device 100, the bacterial flora of the child 110 is collected from the skin of the child 110, and the bacterial flora of the caregiver 111 is collected from the skin of the caregiver 111.

[0015] In child-rearing, the caregiver 111 may worry daily about whether his or her attitude toward the child 110 is appropriate, and may want to obtain an objective indicator. In addition, parents and children who need mental support due to social isolation or anxiety about child-rearing need to be recognized and supported early by people around them, such as those involved in childcare facilities, or by the government, but the relationship between the caregiver and the child is difficult to gauge from the outside, and support has been delayed. Note that the term "caregiver" includes, for example, biological parents, genetic relatives, siblings, and people who are not biologically or genetically related but should supervise and protect the child, but is not limited to these.

[0016] In response to this, surveys and other methods have been used to estimate the psychological indicators of the caregivers 111, but the survey itself can be a psychological burden for the caregivers 111, so this method may not be useful. In addition, visits and observations by administrative personnel have been conducted, but the caregivers 111 become defensive, making it difficult to find a relationship in a natural state.

[0017] In recent years, with the development of technologies related to bacterial flora analysis such as NGS (next-generation sequencer), it has become possible to obtain the diversity of bacterial flora in the intestines, skin, etc., and the types and composition ratios of the bacteria that constitute them, and various insights have been obtained from bacterial flora analysis. For example, it is becoming clear that various bacteria exist in the skin flora and intestinal flora, and each produces beneficial substances such as moisturizing the skin, that the bacteria check each other, preventing the excessive proliferation of bacteria that have adverse effects, and are also involved in immunity. It has been found that such diverse skin flora and intestinal flora are not obtained immediately after birth, and that the bacterial flora of the skin and intestines of the child 110 becomes diverse as the child 110 acquires bacteria from the growth environment and through contact with others such as caregivers during the growth process after birth.

[0018] Based on such findings, the child care support device 100 of this embodiment performs bacterial flora analysis on, for example, a child bacterial flora 112 collected from the skin of the child 110 and a caregiver bacterial flora 113 collected from the skin of the forearm of the caregiver 111. The child bacterial flora 112 may be collected, for example, from the intestines of the child 110. The caregiver bacterial flora 113 may be collected, for example, from the skin of the caregiver 111 other than the forearm, or from the intestines of the caregiver 111.

[0019] The collected child bacterial flora 112 and caregiver bacterial flora 113 are subjected to a testing device 120 using, for example, a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) method, and their compositions, etc. are analyzed. Child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122 obtained as the test results are transmitted to the child-rearing support device 100.

[0020] The child care support device 100 determines the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 based on the similarity between the received child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122. The determined relationship may be notified to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone 130 carried by the caregiver 111, an administrative official, or a hospital official.

[0021] In addition, the location for collecting the bacterial flora of the caregiver 111 is preferably the forearm as in this embodiment. This is because the caregiver 111 often holds the child 110 while raising the child, and the forearm of the caregiver 111 is the position that comes into contact with the skin of the child 110 most frequently, and the bacterial flora on the skin of the forearm of the caregiver 111 is highly similar to the bacterial flora on each part of the child 110.

[0022] Configuration of childcare support device 100 Next, the configuration of the childcare support device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The childcare support device 100 includes a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201, a β diversity index derivation unit 202, and a relationship determination unit 203.

[0023] <Bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201> The bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201 acquires child bacterial flora analysis data 121 obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora 112 collected from the skin of the child 110, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122 obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora 113 collected from the skin of the forearm of a caregiver 111 (e.g., a mother) of the child 110. The bacterial flora of the child 110 may be collected from any part of the body, such as the arm, forehead, or buttocks, but it is preferable to collect the bacterial flora from the arm or forehead, and more preferably from the arm, from the viewpoint of preventing the influence of body fluids, environmental bacteria, and fecal bacteria. When collecting the bacterial flora from the arm, it is preferable to collect the bacterial flora from the inside of both arms in order to collect a sufficient amount of bacteria and to prevent the influence of environmental bacteria. In addition, the age of the target child is preferably 0 years old or older and younger than 7 years old, and more preferably 5 months old or older and younger than 6 years old, since contact with the caregiver is considered to have a large influence on the bacterial flora.

[0024] The timing of collection of the bacterial flora is not particularly limited, but when collecting bacterial flora from the buttocks of the child 110, it is desirable to collect the bacterial flora at the time of waking on a day when the child does not defecate, between the time of bathing on the previous day and waking up, in order to prevent the influence of fecal-derived bacteria. Any surface bacteria collection kit (MetaFloKeeper) or the like can be used to collect the bacterial flora. Alternatively, wiping with a cotton swab 114 or cloth or the like may be used. After collection, the specimen is desirably stored in a refrigerator or the like in a preservative solution until analysis.

[0025] Analysis of the bacterial flora is performed by extracting bacterial DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) from the collected bacteria, amplifying and analyzing it by real-time PCR, and using a next-generation sequencer. This can be achieved from information obtained by general amplicon sequence analysis, specifically, by extracting bacterial DNA using a commercially available extraction kit, amplifying 16srDNA by PCR, analyzing with a next-generation sequencer, and analyzing the genus or species of the obtained sequence using a database. For example, a commercially available extraction kit (MORA-EXTRACT kit, Kyokuto Pharmaceutical Industries) can be used for DNA extraction. The primers used for 16srDNA amplification can be universal primers that are commonly used.

[0026] <Other> The analysis results of the bacterial flora sampled from the forehead of the child 110 may be compared with the analysis results of the bacterial flora sampled from the forehead of the caregiver 111 to eliminate the influence of bacteria derived from the environment.

[0027] <β diversity index derivation unit 202> Based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122, the β diversity index derivation unit 202 derives a β diversity index that indicates the degree of difference between the diversity of the child bacterial flora 112 and the diversity of the caregiver bacterial flora 113 as an index representing the similarity between the child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122.

[0028] Here, the β diversity index is an index that indicates the degree of difference in the diversity of two samples, and is expressed as the distance between two points. The larger the distance between two points, the higher the degree of difference between the two samples and the different compositions, i.e., the lower the similarity between the two samples.

[0029] The β diversity index may be any of the Bray-Curtis distance, Jaccard distance, and Unifrac distance, but in this embodiment, the Bray-Curtis distance is used. The Bray-Curtis distance is an index based on the abundance of a species observed in two samples A and B, and even if a species is common to both samples, the distance becomes large if there is a difference in their abundance.

[0030] Here, the Bray-Curtis distance is an index based on the abundance of species observed in two samples A and B. Even for species common to both samples, if there is a difference in their abundance, the distance can expand up to 1. As it is a quantitative index, it is easily influenced by the distribution of major bacterial species. If the Bray-Curtis distance is BC, then BC can be expressed by the following formula.

number

[0031] Therefore, the β diversity index derivation unit 202 derives the Bray-Curtis distance between the species observed in the child's bacterial flora analysis data 121 and the species observed in the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data 122.

[0032] <Relationship determination unit 203> The relationship determination unit 203 determines the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 based on the derived β diversity index. Specifically, the relationship determination unit 203 determines the relationship between the two based on the derived Bray-Curtis distance. The relationship between the two can be determined based on the following two criteria: the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and the warmth of the parenting attitude (PBI). Here, a method of determining the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 (for example, the relationship between a mother and child) based on the relationship between these two criteria and the Bray-Curtis distance will be described with reference to FIG. 2B (Parenting Stress Index) and FIG. 2C (PBI).

[0033] <Childcare Stress Scale> First, let us explain the Parenting Stress Scale. The Parenting Stress Scale is an index (Parenting Stress Index, PSI) developed in the United States by Dr. Adibin for the early detection and early intervention of stressful parent-child relationships, and is an index that is judged from both the child's and the parent's perspectives, with 78 questions answered on a 5-point scale ranging from completely different to completely true. For the parent's perspective, subscales include questions to read the caregiver's psychological state, such as social isolation, depression, feelings of guilt, difficulty feeling attached to the child, and parenting anxiety.

[0034] Through various investigations, the inventors found that there is a relationship between the similarity of the bacterial flora between children and their caregivers and the results of the parental aspect of the child-rearing stress index. Specifically, using a questionnaire purchased from the Employment Problems Research Association, the inventors calculated the parental aspect of the child-rearing stress index (parenting stress scale) of the caregivers from the results of interviews with the caregivers, and compared the similarity of the skin bacterial flora between the children and the caregivers.

[0035] 2B shows a graph 220 in which the horizontal axis indicates the parenting stress scale of the caregiver 111 and the vertical axis indicates the Bray-Curtis distance between the skin flora of the child 110 and the forearm skin flora of the caregiver 111. The parenting stress scale on the horizontal axis indicates that the smaller the value, the lower the stress, and the larger the value, the higher the stress. Also, the Bray-Curtis distance on the vertical axis indicates that the smaller the value, the higher the similarity, and the larger the value, the lower the similarity.

[0036] Here, the higher the value on the child-rearing stress scale, the higher the stress, with a child-rearing stress scale score of 105 or above being judged to indicate a tendency toward high stress, and a child-rearing stress scale score of 121 or above being judged to indicate a tendency toward significantly high stress. Note that these thresholds were set using the PSI percentile table published by the Employment Issues Research Group, taking into consideration the 50th percentile being 105 (50% of caregivers are 105 or below) and the 80th percentile being 121 (80% of caregivers are 121 or below).

[0037] Looking at the graph 220, it can be seen that the lower the parenting stress scale (the smaller the value), the smaller the Bray-Curtis distance. This indicates that the composition of bacteria present on the skin of a caregiver 111 with low parenting stress and a child 110 is similar.

[0038] Here, when a regression analysis is performed on the points plotted in graph 220, a straight line y = 0.0034x + 0.427 (y on the vertical axis, x on the horizontal axis) can be drawn. It is known that values ​​of 105 or more on the parenting stress scale tend to indicate high stress, so when the Bray-Curtis distance is calculated for a score of 105, it is found to be 0.78. The Bray-Curtis distance for a score of 121 is 0.83.

[0039] Therefore, if the Bray-Curtis distance is 0.78 or more, it can be determined that there is a possibility that caregiver 111 is feeling high stress from child-rearing. In this way, the relationship determination unit 203 can determine the degree of stress that caregiver 111 is feeling from child-rearing by looking at the Bray-Curtis distance.

[0040] As described above, there is a tendency that the smaller the parenting stress scale, the smaller the Bray-Curtis distance between the skin flora of the child 110 and the skin flora of the caregiver 111. It is considered that the Bray-Curtis distance between the intestinal flora of the child 110 and the intestinal flora of the caregiver 111 and the parenting stress scale show a similar tendency. In other words, it is considered that the lower the parenting stress scale, the smaller the Bray-Curtis distance between the intestinal flora of the child 110 and the intestinal flora of the caregiver 111.

[0041] <Parenting Warmth (PBI)> 2C shows a graph 221 in which the horizontal axis indicates the PBI score of the caregiver 111, and the vertical axis indicates the Bray-Curtis distance between the skin flora of the child 110 and the forearm skin flora of the caregiver 111. The PBI (Warm) score on the horizontal axis is a score of the caregiver's 111 parenting attitude, and is a score that indicates, for example, whether the caregiver 111's interaction with the child 110 is warm or not. The higher the PBI score, the warmer the interaction with the child 110 is judged to be, and the lower the score, the less warm the interaction with the child 110 is judged to be.

[0042] Looking at graph 221, we can see that the higher the PBI score (the warmer the interaction), the smaller the Bray-Curtis distance. This indicates that the composition of bacteria present on the skin of a caregiver 111 who has a warm interaction with a child 110 is similar to that of the child 110.

[0043] Here, by performing a regression analysis on the points plotted in graph 221, a straight line of y=-0.0443x+1.8303 (y on the vertical axis, x on the horizontal axis) can be drawn. And, since it is known that PBI scores below 25 tend to indicate low warmth of relationships, the Bray-Curtis distance for a value of 25 is found to be 0.78.

[0044] Therefore, if the Bray-Curtis distance is 0.78 or more, it can be determined that the caregiver 111 has a warm relationship with the child 110. In this way, the relationship determination unit 203 can determine the warmth of the caregiver's 111 relationship with child rearing by looking at the Bray-Curtis distance.

[0045] In this way, by further using a measure of warmth of interaction with the child 110, it is possible to reinforce the correlation between a smaller Bray-Curtis distance and lower parenting stress.

[0046] Therefore, from the consideration using the above-mentioned two criteria, the relationship determination section 203 determines the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 using the Bray-Curtis distance of 0.78 as the criterion.

[0047] As described above, there is a tendency that the higher the PBI score, the smaller the Bray-Curtis distance between the skin flora of the child 110 and the forearm skin flora of the caregiver 111. It is considered that the Bray-Curtis distance between the intestinal flora of the child 110 and the intestinal flora of the caregiver 111 and the PBI score show a similar tendency. In other words, it is considered that the higher the PBI score, the smaller the Bray-Curtis distance between the intestinal flora of the child 110 and the intestinal flora of the caregiver 111.

[0048] <Other> The relationship determination unit 203 may determine the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 by taking into account the amount of sebum secretion and moisture percentage that can be obtained during bacterial flora data analysis in addition to the β diversity index. Also, a questionnaire may be administered to the caregiver 111 when the bacterial flora is collected, and the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 may be determined by taking into account the composition of the family living together and the dietary habits of the child 110, the caregiver 111, and other family members obtained as a result of the questionnaire.

[0049] Furthermore, the relationship determination unit 203 derives the Bray-Curtis distance and also the number of bacterial species, and for example, if the bacterial flora is diverse (the number of bacterial species is large), but the Bray-Curtis distance is small, it determines that the involvement of the caregiver 111 is low and the relationship is not good. However, there is a high possibility that other family members living together are involved in childcare, and the relationship determination unit 203 may determine that the relationship between the child 110 and the family members living together is good.

[0050] Next, an example of a determination content table 301 held by the child care support device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The determination content table 301 stores determination content 312 in association with a β diversity index 311. The β diversity index 311 is a Bray-Curtis distance. The determination content 312 is a content indicating the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 according to the Bray-Curtis distance. The child care support device 100 then refers to the determination content table 301 to determine the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111.

[0051] The hardware configuration of the childcare support device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 410 is a processor for arithmetic control, and executes a program to realize each functional configuration of the childcare support device 100 in FIG. 2. The CPU 410 has multiple processors, and may execute different programs, modules, tasks, threads, etc. in parallel. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 420 stores fixed data such as initial data and programs, and other programs. The network interface 430 communicates with other devices via a network. The CPU 410 is not limited to one, and may be multiple CPUs, or may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) for image processing. The network interface 430 preferably has a CPU independent of the CPU 410, and writes or reads transmission and reception data in an area of ​​the RAM (Random Access Memory) 440. The DMAC (Direct Memory Access Controller) for transferring data between the RAM 440 and the storage 450 may also be used. It is preferable to provide a data transfer controller (not shown). Furthermore, the CPU 410 processes the data upon recognizing that data has been received or transferred to the RAM 440. The CPU 410 also prepares the processing results in the RAM 440, and leaves the subsequent transmission or transfer to the network interface 430 or DMAC.

[0052] The RAM 440 is a random access memory used by the CPU 410 as a temporary storage work area. The RAM 440 has a storage area reserved for storing data necessary for implementing this embodiment. The child bacterial flora analysis data 441 is data obtained by PCR analysis of the child bacterial flora 112 collected from the skin of the child 110. The caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 442 is data obtained by PCR analysis of the caregiver bacterial flora 113 collected from the skin of the forearm of the caregiver 111. The β diversity index 443 is an index representing the degree of difference between the diversity of the child bacterial flora 112 and the diversity of the caregiver bacterial flora 113, and is the Bray-Curtis distance in this embodiment. The determined relationship 444 is the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 determined based on the β diversity index.

[0053] The transmitted / received data 445 is data that is transmitted and received via the network interface 430. The RAM 440 also has an application execution area 446 for executing various application modules.

[0054] The storage 450 stores a database, various parameters, or the following data or programs required to realize this embodiment. The storage 450 stores a determination content table 301. The determination content table 301 is a table that manages the relationship between the β diversity index 311 and the determination content 312 shown in FIG.

[0055] The storage 450 further stores a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition module 451, a β diversity index derivation module 452, and a relationship determination module 453. The bacterial flora analysis data acquisition module 451 is a module that acquires the child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122. The β diversity index derivation module 452 is a module that derives a β diversity index that indicates the degree of difference between the diversity of the child bacterial flora 112 and the diversity of the caregiver bacterial flora 113. The relationship determination module 453 is a module that determines the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 based on the derived β diversity index. These modules 451 to 453 are read into the application execution area 446 of the RAM 440 by the CPU 410 and executed. The control program 454 is a program for controlling the entire child care support device 100.

[0056] The input / output interface 460 interfaces input / output data with input / output devices. A display unit 461 and an operation unit 462 are connected to the input / output interface 460. A storage medium 464 may be further connected to the input / output interface 460. A speaker 463 serving as an audio output unit, a microphone (not shown) serving as an audio input unit, or a GPS position determination unit may be further connected. Note that the RAM 440 and the storage 450 shown in FIG. 4 do not show programs and data related to the general-purpose functions of the child care support device 100 or other feasible functions.

[0057] Next, the processing procedure of the child-rearing support device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 5. These flowcharts are executed by the CPU 410 in Fig. 4 using the RAM 440, and realize each functional configuration of the child-rearing support device 100 in Fig. 2.

[0058] In step S501, the bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit 201 acquires the child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122. In step S503, the β diversity index derivation unit 202 derives a β diversity index representing the degree of difference between the diversity of the child bacterial flora 112 and the diversity of the caregiver bacterial flora 113 based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122. Here, the derived β diversity index is the Bray-Curtis distance. In step S505, the relationship determination unit 203 judges whether the derived Bray-Curtis distance is less than 0.78. If the distance is less than 0.78 (YES in step S505), the child care support device 100 proceeds to step S507. If the distance is 0.78 or more (NO in step S505), the child care support device 100 proceeds to step S509.

[0059] In step S507, since the Bray-Curtis distance is less than 0.78, the relationship determination unit 203 determines that the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 is good and there is a high possibility that there are no problems in the relationship between them. In step S509, since the Bray-Curtis distance is 0.78 or more, the relationship determination unit 203 determines that the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 is bad and there is a high possibility that there are problems in the relationship between them. When the relationship determination process is completed, the child care support device 100 ends the entire process.

[0060] According to this embodiment, the bacterial flora of at least one of the skin and intestines of the child and the caregiver is analyzed and the Bray-Curtis distance is derived, so that the relationship between the two can be easily determined.

[0061] [Second embodiment] Next, a childcare support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 6A to 9. Fig. 6A is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a childcare support device 600 according to this embodiment. The childcare support device 600 according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has an α diversity index derivation unit 601. Since the other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first embodiment, the same configurations and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0062] ≪α diversity index derivation unit 601≫ The child care support device 600 has an α diversity index derivation unit 601. The α diversity index derivation unit 601 derives a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child bacterial flora 112 and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver bacterial flora 113, based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data 121 and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122.

[0063] Here, the α diversity index is an index that represents the diversity and species richness in a certain sample. In other words, it is an index that is specific to a sample, and the larger the value, the higher the species diversity (there is a large number of types of bacteria, or they are present evenly, or both, and the microbial flora is rich in diversity). Note that the α diversity index here may be an index that reflects the number of bacterial species, an index that reflects the uneven distribution of bacterial species, or an index that reflects both.

[0064] The α diversity index includes the number of OTUs (operational taxonomic units), the number of bacterial species, Chao1, Shannon Index, Pielou's Eveness Index, etc., and any of them may be used, but in this embodiment, for example, the Shannon Index is used. The Shannon Index is one of the most commonly used indexes, and is calculated based on the ratio of species to the entire sample. When the number of species is large and each species is evenly present, the index has a high value.

[0065] Through various investigations, the inventors found that in caregivers and children with no issues in the relationship (e.g., parent-child relationship) and where there is appropriate physical contact, children raised by caregivers with higher alpha diversity also have higher alpha diversity, and that in children aged 6 months or older, the relationship is close to 1:1.

[0066] Therefore, the α diversity index derivation unit 601 derives a child α diversity index for the child 110 based on the child bacterial flora analysis data 121 , and derives a caregiver α diversity index for the caregiver 111 based on the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122 .

[0067] <Relationship determination unit 203> Then, the relationship determination unit 203 determines the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 based on the ratio between the derived child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index.

[0068] Here, the determination of the relationship using the α diversity index will be described with reference to Fig. 6B. Fig. 6B shows a graph 620 with the horizontal axis representing the number of bacterial species on the forearm skin of a caregiver 111 such as a mother, and the vertical axis representing the number of bacterial species on the skin of a child 110, with a line segment 621 representing a child 110 between 3 and 5 months old, and a line segment 622 representing a child 110 over 6 months old.

[0069] Both of these lines 621, 622 are the ratio of the number of bacterial species of caregiver 111 to the number of bacterial species of child 110. As shown by line 621, in young children 110, acquisition of necessary bacteria has not progressed sufficiently, so the number of bacterial species of child 110 is less than the number of bacterial species of caregiver 111. Therefore, when determining the relationship using the alpha diversity index for children 110 under 6 months of age, data correction or the like is required.

[0070] In contrast, as shown by line segment 622, as child 110 gets older, the cumulative contact time with caregiver 111 increases, so the ratio of the number of bacterial species of child 110 to the number of bacterial species of caregiver 111 approaches 1 (the slope of line segment 622 approaches 1). Thus, it can be seen that for children 110 aged 6 months or older, the relationship can be determined using the α diversity index.

[0071] Therefore, for a child 110 aged 6 months or older, where the number of bacterial species of the caregiver 111 is y and the number of bacterial species of the child 110 is x, the relationship determination unit 203 uses y / x=0.7 to 1.3 as a criterion. In other words, the relationship determination unit 203 uses as a criterion whether the number of bacterial species between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 is close to 1:1.

[0072] In this way, if the child 110 is 6 months of age or older, the accuracy of the determination can be further improved by combining the β diversity index described in the first embodiment with the α diversity index described in this embodiment to determine the relationship.

[0073] As described above, in a caregiver and a child with no problems in their relationship and with appropriate skinship, when the child is 6 months of age or older, the ratio of the number of bacterial species on the forearm skin of the caregiver 111 to the number of bacterial species on the skin of the child 110 tends to be close to a 1:1 relationship. It is believed that the ratio of the number of bacterial species in the intestines of the child 110 to the number of bacterial species in the intestines of the caregiver 111 will also show a similar tendency.

[0074] An example of the similarity table 701 held by the child care support apparatus 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The similarity table 701 stores a diversity similarity 712 in association with an α diversity index ratio 711. The α diversity index ratio 711 is a ratio between the α diversity index of the child 110 and the α diversity index of the caregiver 111, and relates to a correlation between the number of bacterial species of the child 110 and the caregiver 111. The diversity similarity 712 represents a similarity between the number of bacterial species of the child 110 and the number of bacterial species of the caregiver 111 according to the α diversity index ratio 711. The relationship determination unit 203 then refers to the similarity table 701 and determines the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 using the α diversity index.

[0075] The hardware configuration of the child care support device 600 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The RAM 840 is a random access memory used by the CPU 410 as a work area for temporary storage. A storage area for storing data necessary for implementing this embodiment is secured in the RAM 440. The α diversity index 841 is an index indicating the diversity of types of bacterial species of each of the child 110 and the caregiver 111, derived from the child bacterial flora analysis data 121 of the child 110 and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122 of the caregiver 111. The α diversity index ratio 842 is the ratio between the child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index.

[0076] The storage 850 stores a database, various parameters, or the following data or programs required to realize this embodiment. The storage 850 stores a similarity table 701. The similarity table 701 is a table that manages the relationship between the α diversity index ratio 711 and the diversity similarity 712 shown in FIG.

[0077] The storage 850 further stores an α diversity index derivation module 851. The α diversity index derivation module 851 is a module that derives a child α diversity index as an index indicating the diversity of the child bacterial flora 112 based on the child bacterial flora analysis data 121. The α diversity index derivation module 851 is a module that further derives a caregiver α diversity index as an index indicating the diversity of the caregiver bacterial flora 113 based on the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data 122.

[0078] Next, a processing procedure of the child-rearing support device 600 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 9. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 410 in Fig. 8 using the RAM 840, and realizes each functional configuration of the child-rearing support device 600 in Fig. 6A.

[0079] In step S901, the α diversity index derivation unit 601 derives a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child bacterial flora 112. Furthermore, the α diversity index derivation unit 601 derives a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver bacterial flora 113.

[0080] In step S903, the relationship determination unit 203 performs an alpha diversity analysis. The relationship determination unit 203 determines whether the caregiver-child ratio (child / caregiver ratio) of the alpha diversity is in the range of 0.7 to 1.3. If the caregiver-child ratio is in the range of 0.7 to 1.3 (YES in step S903), the relationship determination unit 203 proceeds to step S507. In step S507, the relationship determination unit 203 determines that the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 is good and there is a high possibility that there are no problems in the relationship between the two. If the caregiver-child ratio is not in the range of 0.7 to 1.3 (NO in step S903), the relationship determination unit 203 proceeds to step S509. In step S509, the relationship determination section 203 determines that the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 is bad, and determines that there is a high possibility that there is a problem in the relationship between the two.

[0081] According to this embodiment, the relationship between a child and a caregiver is determined using the α diversity index, so that the relationship between the two can be determined with higher accuracy.

[0082] [Third embodiment] Next, a childcare support device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 15. Fig. 10 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a childcare support device 1000 according to this embodiment. The childcare support device 1000 according to this embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in that it has a proposal generation unit 1001 and a notification control unit 1002. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first and second embodiments, so the same configurations and operations are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0083] ≪Proposal generation unit 1001≫ The child care support apparatus 1000 further includes a proposal generating unit 1001 and a notification control unit 1002. The proposal generating unit 1001 generates a proposal for improving the relationship based on the result of the determination by the relationship determining unit 203. The relationship determining unit 203 determines the child care stress of the caregiver 111 and the child care attitude of the caregiver 111 as the relationship.

[0084] The proposal generated by the proposal generation unit 1001 includes at least one of a recommendation regarding the parenting behavior of the caregiver 111, a recommendation regarding the parenting attitude of the caregiver 111, a recommendation regarding physical contact between the child 110 and the caregiver 111, and a recommendation regarding the need for external support.

[0085] <Determining relationships using β diversity> As described in the first embodiment above, when the relationship determination unit 203 determines the relationship using the β diversity index, if the Bray-Curtis distance is less than 0.78, it determines that the bacterial flora is similar and highly diverse, and therefore there is no problem with the relationship.

[0086] In this case, the proposal generating unit 1001 generates a recommendation such as "Your skinship level is high. Let's continue to enjoy interacting together" as a proposal for the caregiver 111. Also, the proposal generating unit 1001 generates a recommendation such as "There were no findings from the bacterial flora regarding any issues in the relationship between the caregiver and the child" as a proposal for an administrative official.

[0087] On the other hand, when the Bray-Curtis distance is 0.78 or more, the relationship determination unit 203 determines that the similarity of the bacterial flora is low and that there is a possibility that physical contact is insufficient. In this case, the proposal generation unit 1001 generates, as proposals, recommendations for the caregiver 111, such as advice to increase physical contact or recommendations to encourage the caregiver to ask for help from family or others. Specifically, the proposals generated include recommendations such as "Give your child a quick hug when you get home," "It would be nice if you could put down your smartphone and hold your baby for five minutes a day," "Don't carry it all by yourself," "Get your dad involved," and "Raising a child is something everyone does together."

[0088] In addition, when the proposal generation unit 1001 generates a proposal for a third party such as a family member, a government official, or a childcare worker, the proposal generation unit 1001 generates recommendations that lead to early detection and intervention, such as "The parent and child may need support," "Please keep an eye on them," and "Is there anything we can do to help?"

[0089] In this embodiment, as described above, a recommendation is generated based on the Bray-Curtis distance between the skin flora of the child 110 and the forearm skin flora of the caregiver 111. When a recommendation is generated based on the Bray-Curtis distance between the intestinal flora of the child 110 and the intestinal flora of the caregiver 111, a recommendation similar to a recommendation generated based on the Bray-Curtis distance between the skin flora of the child 110 and the forearm skin flora of the caregiver 111 may be generated.

[0090] <Determining relationships by taking into account alpha diversity> As described in the second embodiment above, when determining the relationship using the β diversity index, if the Bray-Curtis distance is 0.78 or more (if the similarity is low), the relationship determination unit 203 determines the relationship using the α diversity index.

[0091] In determining the relationship using the alpha diversity index, if the ratio of the alpha diversity index is in the range of 0.7 to 1.3, the relationship determination unit 203 can determine that the similarity of the diversity of the bacterial flora is high, and this can be expected to be contacted by others. Therefore, the proposal generation unit 1001 does not need to generate a special proposal, but may generate, for example, the following proposal. For family members such as the caregiver 111 and the caregiver's spouse, the proposal generation unit 1001 may generate, for example, examples of ways to have skin contact even when busy, and specifically may generate recommendations such as "I recommend a little hug when you get home" and "I'll give you a massage while taking care of your skin." For administrative personnel, the proposal generation unit 1001 may generate recommendations such as "There is enough skin contact between parent and child," "The relationship between parent and child is good," and "The urgency of support seems low."

[0092] On the other hand, if the ratio of the α diversity index is not within the range of 0.7 to 1.3, the similarity of the diversity of the bacterial flora is determined to be low, which can be determined to be a possibility that physical contact with the child 110 is insufficient.

[0093] In such a case, the proposal generating unit 1001 generates, as a proposal, advice to the caregiver 111 that calls attention or encourages the caregiver 111 to get help from family members or others, specifically, recommendations such as "Don't handle it all by yourself," "Involve your father," and "Raising a child is something everyone should do together." Furthermore, the proposal generating unit 1001 generates, as a proposal, recommendations such as "Hold your child lightly when you get home," and "It would be nice if you could put down your smartphone and hold your child for five minutes a day." And, for government officials, the proposal generating unit 1001 may generate, as a proposal, recommendations such as "The parent and child may need support," "Please keep an eye on them," and "Is there anything we can do to help?"

[0094] In this embodiment, as described above, recommendations are generated based on the ratio of α diversity indexes, which is the ratio between the number of bacterial species on the skin of the child 110 and the number of bacterial species on the forearm skin of the caregiver 111. When generating recommendations using the ratio between the number of bacterial species on the skin of the child 110 and the number of bacterial species on the forearm skin of the caregiver 111 as the ratio of α diversity indexes, recommendations similar to those generated when the ratio between the number of bacterial species on the skin of the child 110 and the number of bacterial species on the forearm skin of the caregiver 111 is used as the ratio of α diversity indexes may be generated.

[0095] <Notification control unit 1002> The notification control unit 1002 notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated proposal. The notification destination of the generated proposal may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by a caregiver 111 such as a parent or family member, or an email address of an administrative official. Alternatively, the notification control unit 1002 may be an email address or mobile terminal of the child's 110's family doctor, or an email address of the family hospital, but is not limited to the examples shown here, as long as it is a person who has some kind of relationship with the child 110.

[0096] Next, an example of the proposal table 1101 and the proposal table 1102 held by the childcare support device 1000 will be described with reference to Figs. 11A and 11B. The proposal table 1101 is a table that is referred to when the similarity of the bacterial flora is determined using the β diversity index. The proposal table 1101 stores the proposal content 1112 in association with the determination content 1111. The determination content 1111 is the content of the similarity determined with the border of 0.78, which is the reference value of the β diversity index. The proposal content 1112 is the proposal content as a recommendation to the caregiver 111 and the administrative officer according to the determination content 1111. Then, the proposal generation unit 1001 generates a proposal with reference to the proposal table 1101.

[0097] The proposal table 1102 is a table that is referenced when the similarity of the bacterial flora is determined using the α diversity index in addition to the β diversity index. The proposal table 1102 stores proposal contents 1122 in association with determination contents 1121. The determination contents 1121 are similarity determination contents when the similarity is determined using the β diversity index and further using whether the α diversity index falls within the range of 0.7 to 1.3, which is the reference value of the α diversity index. The proposal contents 1122 are proposal contents as recommendations to the caregiver 111 and the administrative officer according to the determination contents 1121. Then, the proposal generation unit 1001 generates a proposal by referring to the proposal table 1102.

[0098] The hardware configuration of the child care support device 1000 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The RAM 1240 is a random access memory used by the CPU 410 as a work area for temporary storage. A storage area for storing data necessary for implementing this embodiment is secured in the RAM 1240. The proposal content 1241 is a proposal for improving the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111. The notification destination information 1242 is information related to the notification destination of the generated proposal, such as an email address.

[0099] The storage 1250 stores a database, various parameters, or the following data or programs required to realize this embodiment. The storage 1250 stores a proposal table 1101 and a proposal table 1102. The proposal tables 1101 and 1102 are tables that manage the relationship between the determination contents 1111 and 1121 and the proposal contents 1112 and 1122 shown in Figs. 11A and 11B.

[0100] The storage 1250 further stores a proposal generation module 1251 and a notification control module 1252. The proposal generation module 1251 is a module that generates a proposal for improving the relationship based on the determined relationship. The notification control module 1252 is a module that notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated proposal.

[0101] Next, the processing procedure of the childcare support device 1000 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 13. If the derived Bray-Curtis distance is 0.78 or more (NO in step S505), the relationship determination unit 203 proceeds to step S1301. In step S1301, the relationship determination unit 203 judges whether the child 110 is 6 months or more in months. If the child 110 is not 6 months or more in months (NO in step S1301), the relationship determination unit 203 proceeds to step S1303. In step S1303, the relationship determination unit 203 judges that there is little physical contact between the child 110 and the caregiver 111. If the child 110 is 6 months or more in months, the relationship determination unit 203 proceeds to step S903. If the caregiver-child ratio is in the range of 0.7 to 1.3 (YES in step S903), the relationship determination unit 203 proceeds to step S1305. In step S1305, the relationship determination unit 203 determines that there is a lot of physical contact between the child 110 and the caregiver 111. In step S1307, the proposal generation unit 1001 generates a proposal for improving the relationship based on the determination result. In step S1309, the notification control unit 1002 notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated proposal.

[0102] 14 and 15 show that the accuracy of determining the relationship between the child 110 and the caregiver 111 is improved when the β diversity index and the α diversity index are used in this embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 14, when the case where the relationship is determined using the β diversity index and the α diversity index is compared with the case where the relationship is determined using only the β diversity index by performing multiple regression analysis, it is found that the accuracy is improved when the β diversity index and the α diversity index are used. In this way, it is possible to perform a more accurate determination by determining the relationship by combining the β diversity index and the α diversity index than when only the α diversity index or only the β diversity index is used. Note that FIG. 15 shows each coefficient used in the multiple regression analysis.

[0103] According to this embodiment, not only is the relationship between the child and the caregiver determined, but appropriate recommendations are generated as proposals and notified based on the determined relationship, so that a significant improvement in the relationship between the child and the caregiver can be expected. In addition, since more people can be involved in the child's upbringing, the child's upbringing environment can also be improved. Furthermore, in today's world where nuclear families are becoming more common, there is a shortage of people who can receive advice and recommendations, so this is also effective in relieving caregivers' concerns about child-rearing.

[0104] In addition, in order to improve the accuracy of analysis and to respond to changes in lifestyle over time, the present invention may store, for example, alpha diversity information and beta diversity information of multiple caregivers and children, the child's age in months, and data on the relationship between lifestyle habits and living environment and psychological indicators obtained from questionnaires, etc., in a server (such as a childcare support device), and use the stored data as teacher data to determine the relationship between a child and a caregiver using a regression equation obtained as a result of machine learning. In addition, the obtained data on the diversity of bacterial flora may be stored, organized in chronological order, and fed back in order to use it as a keepsake to look back on the determination results of the relationship according to the present invention after the child grows up, to measure the effect of a gradually improving relationship such as a foster parent-child relationship, or for external confirmation.

[0105] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention. In addition, systems or devices that combine separate features included in each embodiment in any way are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0106] The present invention may be applied to a system consisting of multiple devices, or to a single device. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a case where an information processing program for implementing the functions of the embodiment is supplied to a system or device and executed by a built-in processor. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention includes a program installed on a computer to implement the functions of the present invention with a computer, a medium storing the program, a WWW (World Wide Web) server for downloading the program, a processor that executes the program, and a program product. In particular, at least a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the processing steps included in the above-mentioned embodiment is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit that acquires child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; a β diversity index derivation unit that derives a β diversity index that represents a degree of difference between the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora as an index representing a similarity between the child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data based on the acquired child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination unit that determines a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on the derived β diversity index; A childcare support device equipped with the device.

2. a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition unit that acquires child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; an α diversity index derivation unit that derives a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination unit that determines a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on a ratio between the derived child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index; A childcare support device equipped with the device.

3. an α diversity index derivation unit that derives a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data; The child-rearing support device according to claim 1 , wherein the relationship determination unit determines the relationship between the child and the caregiver based on a ratio between the child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index.

4. 4. The child-rearing support device according to claim 1, wherein the beta diversity index is a Bray-Curtis distance.

5. The child's bacterial flora is collected from the child's skin, The childcare support device according to claim 1 , wherein the caregiver's bacterial flora is collected from the caregiver's skin.

6. The childcare support device according to claim 5 , wherein the caregiver's bacterial flora is collected from the skin of the caregiver's forearm.

7. a proposal generating unit that generates a proposal for improving the relationship based on a result of the determination by the relationship determining unit; a notification control unit that notifies a predetermined notification destination of the generated proposal; The childcare support device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

8. The relationship determination unit determines, as the relationship, a parenting stress of the caregiver and a parenting attitude of the caregiver, The childcare support device of claim 7, wherein the suggestions generated by the suggestion generation unit include at least one of recommendations regarding the caregiver's parenting behavior, recommendations regarding the caregiver's parenting attitude, recommendations regarding physical contact between the child and the caregiver, and recommendations regarding the need for external support.

9. a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; a β diversity index derivation step of deriving a β diversity index that represents a degree of difference between the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora as an index representing a similarity between the child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data based on the acquired child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on the derived β diversity index; Childcare support methods, including:

10. a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; a β diversity index derivation step of deriving a β diversity index that represents a degree of difference between the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora as an index representing a similarity between the child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data based on the acquired child's bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver's bacterial flora analysis data; a relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on the derived β diversity index; A childcare support program that uses a computer to carry out the above steps.

11. a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; an α diversity index derivation step of deriving a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data; A relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on a ratio of the derived child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index; Childcare support methods, including:

12. a bacterial flora analysis data acquisition step of acquiring child bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a child bacterial flora collected from a child, and caregiver bacterial flora analysis data obtained by analyzing a caregiver bacterial flora collected from the child; an α diversity index derivation step of deriving a child α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the child's bacterial flora and a caregiver α diversity index as an index representing the diversity of the caregiver's bacterial flora based on the acquired child bacterial flora analysis data and the caregiver bacterial flora analysis data; A relationship determination step of determining a relationship between the child and the caregiver based on a ratio of the derived child α diversity index and the caregiver α diversity index; A childcare support program that uses a computer to carry out the above steps.

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