Early postnatal hospital discharge

Early postnatal hospital discharge generally refers to the postpartum hospital discharge of the mother and newborn within 48 hours. The duration of what is considered "early discharge" varies between countries from 12 to 72 hours due to the differences in average duration of hospital stay. The World Health Organization recommends healthy mothers and newborns following an uncomplicated vaginal delivery at a health facility to stay and receive care at the facility for at least 24 hours after delivery. This recommendation is based on findings which suggest that the first 24 hours after giving birth poses the greatest risks for both the mother and newborn.

The length of postnatal hospital stay has changed internationally since the 19th century when giving birth at hospitals was first introduced. Following World War II, the length of postnatal hospital discharge has been declining, leading to global increases in early postnatal hospital discharge.

Conclusions regarding the effects of early postnatal hospital discharge on mothers and newborns remain unclear. This is due to inconsistency of the definition of early postnatal hospital discharge, methodologies and clinical interventions between research studies. Research findings have suggested adverse effects for mothers regarding breastfeeding and depression, whereas others have suggested no differences and even positive effects. Similarly, mixed conclusions have been found on the influence of early postnatal hospital discharge on the morbidity of newborns.