Early postnatal discharge within 24 hours in France, Digi Mart USA News (Nice, France): While most European countries limit maternity hospital stays to fewer than two days on average, France often extends them beyond that, with an average stay of 4.6 days in 2023. Early discharge from maternity wards is exceptional in France, and reducing hospitalization after childbirth requires guaranteeing safety and continuity of care in a French health system that is little accustomed to outpatient care in the postnatal period.
Some women strongly want to return home less than 24 hours after giving birth. Caregivers at the Nice University Hospital (CHU de Nice) heard this request and designed the NICE-Birth experiment.
The pilot study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of an early discharge protocol supported by a digital platform and monitoring by independent midwives.
The study was a prospective cohort study of 100 volunteer mother-child pairs with no neonatal or maternal contraindications. The protocol relied on strict inclusion criteria, antenatal preparation, discharge within 24 hours (between 2 and 24 hours), and daily home monitoring by independent midwives, coordinated through the mobile application “Link4Life.”
After discharge, an independent midwife visited the home on day 1, day 2 and day 3, and once more before day 7. Between day 4 and day 10, the newborn was examined at the maternity ward by a pediatrician.
Until day 7, the mother completed a personalized questionnaire each day, while the maternity team checked twice a day, through the application, for any abnormalities.
The results were positive and fully consistent with national recommendations. Pain was effectively managed with level 1 analgesics (paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).
No mothers needed rehospitalization during the first month. Three emergency room visits were recorded, along with four complications: one cystitis, treated at home, and three cases of delayed resumption of bowel function.
Among newborns, four rehospitalizations (4%) occurred, unrelated to the early discharge: three for bronchiolitis and one for unexplained hyperthermia that resolved spontaneously. Three emergency room visits were also recorded, none serious or involving complications (fever, regurgitation, parental concern).
At one month, 98.6% of mothers who had started breastfeeding were continuing to do so. Satisfaction scores reached 9.7/10, among both mothers and midwives.
According to the study authors, “our results indicate a favorable preliminary safety profile and a very high rate of breastfeeding maintenance, provided that the transition between hospital and home is secured by digital innovation and dedicated professional support. Early discharge is a feasible and highly satisfactory alternative to conventional care.” In other words, digital tools allow the hospital to redeploy part of its resources toward tailored follow-up of mothers and newborns at home.
On X, Dr. Pierre-Alexis Gauci, a gynecologist at the CHU de Nice and first author of the study, welcomed the NICE-Birth results, which he said successfully demonstrated “the feasibility of a paradigm shift: moving away from a hospital-centered vision toward an approach centered on the mother-newborn pathway.
Following this successful first step, preparations for a multicenter national evaluation are already underway.” He stressed that there would be no compromise on medical safety. The approach is aimed at women who wish to return home quickly, not at imposing this express return on all women.
Source: Gauci PA, Adrados C, Albouy C, et al. Implementation of early postnatal discharge within 24 h in France: Safety, satisfaction, and feasibility trial supported by a connected home monitoring application (NICE-BIRTH study).
Women Birth. 2026 Jun;39(3):102205; 2026 congress of the Société française de médecine périnatale (SFMP); Les établissements de santé en 2023, 2025 edition, DREES.
