ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2023
Length of stay and determinants of early discharge after facility-based childbirth in Cameroon: analysis of the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Woman-centeredness of family planning care and associated factors in a semi-urban health district in West Cameroon.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Discharge time from healthcare facilities after birth in Tanzania : a secondary analysis of demographic and health surveys from 2015 to 16 and 2022.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Article
- Length-of-stay and factors associated with early discharge after birth in health facilities in Guinea by mode of birth: Secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Survey 2018.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Empowering local researchers toward using local data to identify local health priorities: A reflection on three cohorts of the course "Write your own paper using Demographic and Health Survey data on reproductive and child health".Journal of global health · 2023Article
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11 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundA minimum length of stay following facility birth is a prerequisite for women and newborns to receive the recommended monitoring and package of postnatal care. The first postnatal care guidelines in Cameroon were issued in 1998 but adherence to minimum length of stay has not been assessed thus far. The objective of this study was to estimate the average length of stay and identify determinants of early discharge after facility birth.
methodsWe analyzed the Cameroon 2018 Demographic and Health Survey. We included 4,567 women who had a live birth in a heath facility between 2013 and 2018. We calculated their median length of stay in hours by mode of birth and the proportion discharged early (length of stay < 24 h after vaginal birth or < 5 days after caesarean section). We assessed the association between sociodemographic, context-related, facility-related, obstetric and need-related factors and early discharge using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression.
resultsThe median length of stay (inter quartile range) was 36 (9-84) hours after vaginal birth (n = 4,290) and 252 (132-300) hours after caesarean section (n = 277). We found that 28.8% of all women who gave birth in health facilities were discharged too early (29.7% of women with vaginal birth and 15.1% after a caesarean section). Factors which significantly predicted early discharge in multivariable regression were: maternal age < 20 years (compared to 20-29 years, aOR: 1.44; 95%CI 1.13-1.82), unemployment (aOR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.63-0.96), non-Christian religions (aOR: 1.65; 95CI: 1.21-2.24), and region of residence-Northern zone aOR:9.95 (95%CI:6.53-15.17) and Forest zone aOR:2.51 (95%CI:1.79-3.53) compared to the country's capital cities (Douala or Yaounde). None of the obstetric characteristics was associated with early discharge.
conclusionsMore than 1 in 4 women who gave birth in facilities in Cameroon were discharged too early; this mostly affected women following vaginal birth. The reasons leading to lack of adherence to postnatal care guidelines should be better understood and addressed to reduce preventable complications and provide better support to women and newborns during this critical period.
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