Study: Early discharge puts newborns at risk
October 1, 1997 less than 1 minute read
Study: Early discharge puts newborns at risk
Adding fuel to the debate over so-called "drive-by" deliveries, a study published in the July 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association contends that babies discharged within 30 hours of birth have a greater risk of being rehospitalized within one month than other babies.
In a population-based, case-controlled study, researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle found that 17% of all newborns are discharged within 30 hours of delivery. Of those, first-born babies are at 25% greater risk of rehospitalization than first-borns released 30 to 78 hours after delivery. Babies born to mothers younger than 18 run a 22% greater risk of rehospitalization when released early, and babies whose mother suffered a premature rupture of membranes run a 41% greater risk, according to the study.
Other factors related to rehospitalization include dehydration, sepsis, and jaundice, the researchers claim.
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