Early Hospital Discharge Program in Neonatology

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Prematurity
• Interventions: Other: Early Discharge

• Registration Number: NCT00569608
• Lead Sponsor: Fundacion Para La Investigacion Hospital La Fe

Brief Summary

Early discharge of premature infants from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will have substantial benefits:

(i) diminish parental stress;

(ii) increase parental - child bonding;

(iii) diminish medical complications derived from prolonged hospitalization;

(iv) reduce cost;

(v) increase number of point of attendance disponible for future patients.

Detailed Description

Extremely premature infants have to remain for very prolonged time in the hospital. As a consequence, difficulties for establishing an adequate parental-infant bonding arise causing a substantial parental stress manifested as anxiety and depression, and increasing the risk of short and longterm consequences (neglect, abuse, maltreatment, abandonment). In addition, prolonged hospital stay will increase the probability of having medical complications (infections, excessive blood tests or image studies) and the cost of staying. Once the baby has improved sufficiently early discharge may be given independently of the baby's weight. In order to be successful, caregivers, psychologist and parents have to put forward an established protocol to be able to face satisfactorily this situation. We hypothesize that, with an adequate Early Discharge Program, we could substantially reduce length of hospitalization, cost, and reduce parental stress.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2005-01
• Status Verified: 2005-06
• Study Completion: 2006-10
• Study First Submitted: 2007-12-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2007-12-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2007-12-06
• Study First Posted: 2007-12-07
• Last Update Posted: 2007-12-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 140

Inclusion Criteria

• Prematurity
• No need for hospital support
• Parents fulfill sociological score
• Cooperation of primary care pediatrician

Exclusion Criteria

• Active disease
• Need for hospital intervention
• Major congenital malformations
• Chromosomopathies

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
EDA	Early Discharge	Neonates submitted to the protocol of early discharge.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Reduction in the length of hospitalization.	Days of hospitalization

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Parental stress	up to 3 months post discharge
Use of Health Resources of the Community	up to 3 months post discharge
Reduction in cost of hospitalization	Reduction in euros/baby

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hospital Universitario La Fe; 🇪🇸 Valencia, Spain