[Early discharge and postpartum home visit during the COVID-19 pandemic at the HULP (Madrid).].

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic caused that the Health Department of the Autonomous Region of Madrid redirected the Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology emergency care. On March 24 2020, the HULP launched a program of postpartum early discharge and home visit. The objective of this work was to detect if the care strategy "" applied by the HULP during the COVID-19 pandemic had any adverse effect on the woman and/or the newborn.

Methods: Cross-sectional observational descriptive study using convenience sampling among women included in the early discharge-home visit program from March 24 to May 5 2020. 222 medical records and telephone surveys to postpartum women who complied with the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.4.

Results: The average of inpatient time was 25 hours and 15 minutes. 8.6% of newborns were sent back to the HULP, and 2.2% were readmitted for hyperbilirubinemia. 2.3% of parents took their infants to the Emergency Care Unit, but only 0.46% needed readmission. 0.4% of postpartum women were readmitted. At the discharge, 84.2% of newborns exclusively breastfed. After one week of the birth, 73.4% of infants were exclusively breastfeeding, 18% were mixed breastfeeding, and 8.6% were bottle feeding. 89.6% of women believed early discharge was appropriate. Home visit was described as "very satisfactory" in 83.3% of cases, and the care provided, in 88.7% of cases.

Conclusions: With the early discharge-home visit program, continuity of care is provided, health problems were detected and resolved and high maternal satisfaction levels were obtained.