Postpartum early discharge: impact on maternal fatigue and functional ability

Area of Science:

• Maternal-child health
• Nursing research
• Postpartum care

Background:

• Early discharge programs are increasingly implemented for low-risk mothers.
• The impact of these programs on maternal outcomes requires further investigation.
• Understanding maternal fatigue and functional ability is crucial for postpartum recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of a postpartum early discharge program with home nursing follow-up.
• To assess the impact on maternal fatigue and functional ability in low-risk mothers.
• To compare outcomes between early discharge and traditional hospital care.

Main Methods:

• Quasi-experimental design with random assignment to early discharge or traditional care groups.
• A third group received early discharge due to bed shortages.
• Maternal fatigue and functional ability were measured using validated scales at discharge and 1, 6 weeks postpartum.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in maternal fatigue or functional ability were found between the early discharge and traditional care groups.
• A substantial proportion of mothers reported severe fatigue across all groups.
• The findings suggest early discharge with home follow-up is comparable to traditional care for these outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Postpartum early discharge programs with home follow-up do not negatively affect maternal fatigue or functional ability in low-risk mothers.
• Severe maternal fatigue is a prevalent issue in the postpartum period, irrespective of discharge timing or follow-up intensity.
• Further research is needed to explore the underlying causes and effective interventions for postpartum maternal fatigue.