Determinants of early discharge of mothers from hospitals after delivery in Beed block of Beed District, Maharashtra, India 2014

Abstract Introduction Despite widely publicised national guidelines, early discharge from the hospitals was noted among 70% of mothers after delivery in Beed District, Maharashtra, India. We explored factors associated with early discharge of mothers from hospital after delivery. Methods An unmatched case control study was conducted in the rural area of Beed block between January and April 2014. We recruited and assessed mothers who were discharged from the hospitals in less than 48h after delivery (cases) and more than 48h after delivery (controls). We calculated crude and adjusted odds ratios for factors associated with early discharge. Results Age of mothers less than or equal to 24 years (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0–2.7), first time antenatal care seekers after 3 months of gestation (AOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0–2.8), delivery in Government hospital (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1–3.2), mother or relatives' decision to seek discharge from hospital (AOR: 3.0, 95% CI: 1.5–6.1) and lack of insistence from doctor or staff for the mandatory 48h stay (AOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0–2.7) were independently associated with early discharge. Conclusions There is an urgent need to create awareness regarding a minimum period of stay of 48h in the hospital after delivery among various stakeholders, especially in young mothers delivering in Government hospitals. Standard protocols must be followed by health care workers regarding adherence to this recommendation. There should be uniform practice regarding discharge of mothers after delivery across various health care facilities. This might help to improve the maternal and foetal outcomes.