Early hospital discharge following delivery during wartime is not associated with increased rates of postpartum hospital referrals

BACKGROUND: During war, significant adaptations take place in hospitals to improve the treatment of soldiers and civilians. For example, low-risk women were discharged earlier from hospitals following delivery. The aim of the study was to compare the rate of postpartum-visits to the gynecological-emergency-room (GER) between wartime to a similar period in the previous year. METHODS: A retrospective study compared the visits of postpartum-women in the GER to a similar period in the previous year. RESULTS: The study included 801 women who delivered in the first month of the war in 2023 and 913 who delivered in the parallel period in the previous year. There were no significant changes in maternal age, gravidity, parity, mode of delivery, birthweight, meconium, low Apgar scores, and the rate of admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit. There were significantly less elective cesarean sections during wartime (57% vs. 92%; p < 0.0001). The duration of postpartum hospitalization was significantly shorter during wartime [median length of 53.2 [Interquartile-range (IQR] 42.4-72.4) hours vs. 64.1 (IQR 47.4-82.8) in the previous year (p < 0.0001)]. There were no significant differences in the rate of total referrals of postpartum-women to the GER (8.7% vs. 8.8%; p > 0.05), and no differences in referrals due to infections or bleeding. There was no difference in the rate of admission of postpartum-women (17% vs. 14%; p = 0.73). CONCLUSIONS: Shortening of hospitalization following delivery during war is feasible, does not cause increase postpartum visits to the GER, and does not increase GER visits due to infections or bleeding.