Early Discharge after Delivery. A Study of Safety and Risk Factors

Abstract

The increased frequency of early discharge of newborns has led to questions of its safety. Most studies have looked at mortality and rehospitalization, not all missed diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to determine diagnoses in newborn infants that would have been missed if the infant had been discharged in <24 h. The design was a cohort study at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus (average monthly deliveries 1996 [250], 1997 [500]), a university-affiliated community hospital with all in-born term (≥37 weeks) infants born September through November 1996 and June 1997.