title: Patients with high-risk pregnancies and complicated deliveries have an increased risk of maternal postpartum readmissions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postpartum readmission after initial hospitalization for delivery can be diminished if better understood. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors and indications for maternal re-hospitalization after delivery, in order to identify preventable factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a case control study based on retrospective cohort of patients who delivered at our institution. The patients that were readmitted within 2 weeks of their delivery were included in the study group while the control group was conducted from patients who delivered at the same time but were not re-hospitalized and included twice the number of patients. Demographic characteristics as well as pregnancy, labour and postpartum courses were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 227 women were re-hospitalized within 14 days after initial discharge. The control group consisted of 450 women. The demographic characteristics were similar among the two groups, so were the rates of obesity, gestational weight gain and smoking. The major indication for readmission was postpartum infections, most of which were not related to immediate postpartum febrile morbidity. Emergency cesarean section was found to be an independent risk factor for readmission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of patients with high-risk pregnancies and complicated deliveries is higher among postpartum maternal readmissions. These data might suggest more cautious postpartum care for those patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of OBGYN, Meir Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Merav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharvit
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
authors.forename: Dorit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ravid
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shechter-Maor
authors.forename: Ami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.forename: Tal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Biron-Shental
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors