Objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a program of early obstetric-pediatric discharge (24 hours postpartum) with domiciliary follow-up, compared with the traditional postpartum hospital stay (more than 48 hours), according to the criteria described by reviewers of the subject.
Study design: A randomized controlled trial of early obstetric discharge for healthy mothers and term infants, with postpartum randomization, with no prenatal preparation and with observational and clinical follow-up was performed. The participants were mothers with healthy, term neonates (37-42 weeks) weighing more than 2500 g and produced via vaginal delivery and with a verified normal evolution before discharge. The sample consisted of 430 cases (213 cases with early discharge, and 217 control cases) in which the following variables were evaluated: existence of complications in the mother and/or child that required rehospitalization or a medical consultation, existence of maternal problems of fatigue or anxiety/depression after the birth, continuity of lactation and its problems, satisfaction of the mother and family, and relative costs.
Conclusion: After demonstrating the homogeneity of the groups, no significant differences were found in the rates of maternal rehospitalization (1.9% in the early discharge group vs 2.3% in the control group, relative risk 0.81, 95% CI 0.21-3.03) or in the rates of rehospitalization of the neonates (1.4% in the early discharge group vs 2.3% in the control group, relative risk 0.16, 95% CI 0.15-2.56). No increases were observed in maternal or neonatal disease, puerperal fatigue, or maternal anxiety/depression. A prolongation of maternal lactation to 3 months was observed in the early discharge group (P=.016 <.05 Fisher exact test). When the cost of early discharge is compared with that of traditional discharge with a minimum of 48 hours hospital stay, we find a saving of 18% to 20%. The level of maternal satisfaction with early discharge is better than 90%.