Well, at least the Meiji regulations weren't based on religion, at least as far as I know. Even in modern Japan, there are Buddhist temples devoted to the tiny ghosts of abortions and miscarriages (mizuko or mizugo, depending on the transliteration-- the same category also used to include infant deaths, intentional or otherwise), and there seems to be some debate about whether these temples benefit from deliberately preying on women's consciences, but the general approach seems to be more along the lines of "I'm sorry you couldn't stay with us; here's a gift for what would've been your birthday, and we hope you're happy wherever you are now" instead of "Ack I'm a DAMNED SLUT who is going to HELL."

However, though I don't have exact refs on hand, I think that local law-enforcement officials would sweep through each village/neighborhood every few months, check with each family to find out if anyone was pregnant and how far along they might be, and then follow up in the next visit to make sure the baby had actually been born at the expected time and was still alive, or otherwise require documentation to explain how/why a natural miscarriage or infant death had happened. If the story didn't add up, there were fines or criminal penalties or something.

(Man, I am so not awake this morning. Sznnnxnnzz.)