• U R Kotagal, H D Atherton, E Bragg, C Lippert, E F Donovan, and P H Perlstein.
• Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH 45267, USA.
• J. Pediatr. 1997 Feb 1;130(2):250-6.

ObjectiveTo assess the effect of an early discharge program on the use of hospital-based health care services in the first 3 months of life.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingMetropolitan university hospital and a children's hospital.PatientsTerm infants cared for in a single term nursery, before and after implementation of an early discharge program.InterventionEarly discharge program.MethodsLinking of the birth hospital and the children's hospital records and chart review.Outcome MeasuresPattern of emergency department visits and rehospitalizations in the first 3 months of life.ResultsThe early discharge group had a shorter stay, 32 +/- 21 hours (mean +/- SD) than the control group (48 +/- 22 hours). There was no effect of early discharge on mean age at rehospitalization, rehospitalization rate, or reason for rehospitalization. Twenty-eight percent of infants in both study and control groups had at least one emergency department visit by 3 months of age. There was no difference between study and control groups in mean age or frequency of emergency department visits. Maternal age and race had a significant effect on the odds of visiting the emergency department. For any maternal age, nonwhite mothers were more likely to visit the emergency department.ConclusionsEarly discharge of newborn infants to inner city parents can be accomplished without increasing hospital-based resource use in the first 3 months of life provided coordinated postdischarge care and home visiting services are available.

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