Abstract
Objectives: To determine the independent association of selected maternal and hospital characteristics with length of maternal hospital stay for uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. Method: Linear regression analysis using National Hospital Discharge Survey data from 1988 to 1995. Independent variables were year, maternal age and race, method of payment, and hospital ownership, size, and geographic location. The outcome measure was length of maternal hospital stay for uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. Results: Length of stay was independently associated with year, geographic region, payment method, and hospital size. From 1988 to 1995, the mean length of stay fell from 2.1 to 1.5 days. The rate of decrease was similar for all regions, methods of payment, and hospital size. Women in the West had a shorter mean length of stay (1.5 days) than women in the Northeast (2.2 days). The difference by method of payment was smaller. Length of stay was shortest for women without insurance (1.8 days) and longest for women covered by Blue Cross (2.1 days). Maternal age and race and type of hospital ownership were not independently associated with the length of stay. Conclusions: Significant variations existed in the length of time women are hospitalized for normal childbirth. These variations are primarily associated with where a woman lives and whether she is insured. Given the current public debate on the impact of shortened hospital stays, these variations need to be explored and their effects on maternal and infant well-being clarified.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. The National Bill for Diseases Treated in U.S. Hospitals, 1987. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1994; Provider Studies Research Note No. 19.
Charles S, Prystowsky B. Early discharge, in the end: Maternal abuse, child neglect and physician harassment. Pediatrics 1995;96:746-7.
Parisi M, Meyer B. To stay or not to stay? That is the question. N Engl J Med 1995;333:1635-7.
Annas G. Women and children first. N Engl J Med 1995;333:1647-51.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends in length of stay for hospital deliveries—United States, 1970–1992. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1995;44:335-7.
National Center for Health Statistics. 1985 Summary: National Hospital Discharge Survey. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1986; U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Publication No. PHS 86-1250. (Advance data from vital and health statistics; no. 127.)
Graves EJ. 1990 Summary: National Hospital Discharge Survey. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1992; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. PHS 92-1250. (Advance data from Vital and Health Statistics No. 210.)
Health Care Financing Administration. The International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification, 4th ed., Vol. 1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1991; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. PHS 91-1260.
Haupt BJ, Kozak LJ. Estimates from two survey designs: National Hospital Discharge Survey. Hyattsville, Md: National Center for Health Statistics, 1992; Series 13; No. 111. Data from the National Health Survey, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. PHS 92-1772.
Margolis LH, Kotelchuck M, Chang H. Factors associated with early maternal postpartum discharge from the hospital. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1997;151:466-72.
Gazmararian J, Koplan J, Length-of-stay after delivery: Managed care versus fee-for-service. Health Affairs 1996;15:74-80.
Foster D, Schneider L. Hospital length of stay and re-admission rates for normal deliveries and newborns: Relationship to hospital, patient and payer characteristics. Baltimore, MD: HCIA, Inc., 1995.
Graves EJ. 1992 Summary: National Hospital Discharge Survey. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 1994. (Advance data from Vital and Health Statistics; No 249.)
Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Dartmouth Medical School. The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. Chicago: American Hospital Publishing, Inc., 1996.
American Academy of Pediatrics—American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Guidelines for perinatal care, 3rd ed. Washington, D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1992:105-8.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Danel, I., Johnson, C., Berg, C. et al. Length of Maternal Hospital Stay for Uncomplicated Deliveries, 1988–1995: The Impact of Maternal and Hospital Characteristics. Matern Child Health J 1, 237–242 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022322711776
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022322711776