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.