Decreasing the Newborn Birth Hospitalization Length of Stay

Objectives  This study aimed to determine our ability to shorten birth hospitalization length of stay (LOS) in which patient characteristics were associated with early discharge and had effects on early newborn readmission rate. Study Design  Retrospective chart review of births from April 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, was considered for this study. Delivery mode and maternal and newborn characteristics were evaluated for effect on discharge timing. Hospital readmissions within 7 days of discharge were reviewed. Results  In total, 845 out of 1,077 total live births were included in the study population. Five hundred and eighty-nine (69.7%) newborns were discharged early (<48 hours after vaginal delivery [VD] and <72 hours after cesarean delivery [CS]). Factors associated with early discharge included 79.8% CS (p < 0.001), 84% birth after 2 p.m. (p < 0.001), 71.2% no diagnosis of maternal diabetes (p = 0.02), and 70.6% negative maternal coronavirus disease 2019 (p = 0.01). The overall 7-day readmission rate was 1.2 and 0.5% for newborns discharged early after VD. Conclusion  Most newborns can be discharged early without increasing newborn readmission. Key Points Most patients were discharged <72 hours after CS. Most patients were discharged <48 hours after VD. Early discharge does not affect newborn readmissions.