title: Follow-up of newborns and their mothers after early hospital discharge.
abstract: As postpartum hospital stays have become increasingly shorter, more attention has been focused on the importance of routine postdischarge follow-up for newborns and mothers. Recent guidelines and legislation, however, include few specifics on how follow-up services should be provided. Based on the authors' review of the recent literature, it was concluded that the research to date provides little useful information to guide follow-up practices under current conditions. Additional studies that focus on postdischarge follow-up, rather than on length of hospital stay, are needed to provide the basis for more specific practice guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Egerter
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Braveman
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Marchi
mesh_terms: D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay; D010351:Patient Discharge