MONDAY, Oct. 4, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Home nurse visits shortly after mothers return from the hospital with their babies can reduce the number of infant emergency department visits and hospitalizations while also lowering health-care costs.
That's the conclusion of a Penn State Children's Hospital study in the October issue of Pediatrics.
"The first 10 days after birth is a medically risky time for new babies. The most common reasons for infant hospital readmissions or trips to the ED in that time period are jaundice and dehydration, both of which are usually preventable," Dr. Ian Paul, an assistant professor of pediatrics, said in a prepared statement.
"Our study suggests that a low-cost home nurse visit can significantly reduce the need for comparatively expensive hospital and ED services for jaundice and dehydration and, most importantly, prevent babies from getting sick," Paul said.
He and his colleague examined data on 2,641 babies who were discharged from hospital without a scheduled home nurse visit and 326 babies discharged with a scheduled home nurse visit.
Two (0.6 percent) of the 326 babies who had a home nurse visit were readmitted to hospital within the first 10 days of life, compared with 73 (2.8 percent) of the 2,641 babies who did not have a home nurse visit.
The study also found that none of the babies who had a home nurse visit returned to the ED within the first 10 days of life, compared with 92 (3.5 percent) of the 2,641 babies who did not have a home nurse visit.
More information
The American Medical Association offers advice on caring for newborns.
