Newborn early discharge revisited: are California newborns receiving recommended postnatal services?

View Abstract

CONTEXT

Responding to safety concerns, federal and state legislation mandated coverage of minimum postnatal stays and state legislation in California mandated coverage of follow-up after early discharge. Little is known about the postnatal services newborns are receiving.

OBJECTIVE

To describe rates of early discharge and of timely follow-up for early-discharged newborns.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Retrospective, population-based cohort study using a 1999 postpartum survey in California.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 2828 infants of mothers with medically low-risk singleton births.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Rates of early discharge (

RESULTS

Overall, 49.4% of newborns were discharged early. Of these, 67.5% had untimely follow-up. The odds of early discharge were greater with lower incomes: the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) (with 95% confidence intervals) were 2.06 (1.50-2.83) for incomes

CONCLUSIONS

Despite an apparent decline in short stays after legislation, many newborns--particularly from lower-income families--continue to be discharged early. Most newborns discharged early--particularly those with Medicaid and those from low-income, Latina, and non-English-speaking homes--do not receive recommended follow-up. The most socioeconomically vulnerable newborns are receiving fewer postnatal services.

Abbreviation
Pediatrics
Publication Date
2003-02-01
Volume
111
Issue
2
Page Numbers
364-71
Pubmed ID
12563065
Medium
Print
Full Title
Newborn early discharge revisited: are California newborns receiving recommended postnatal services?
Authors
Galbraith AA, Egerter SA, Marchi KS, Chavez G, Braveman PA