Safety of early discharge for Medicaid newborns.

Context: Neonates are being discharged from the hospital more rapidly, but the risks associated with this practice, especially for low-income populations, are unclear.

Objective: To determine the impact of decreasing postnatal length of stay on rehospitalization rates in the immediate postdischarge period for Medicaid neonates.

Design And Setting: Retrospective, population-based cohort study using Ohio Medicaid claims data linked to vital statistics files from July 1, 1991, to June 15, 1995.