The period directly after birth is always a crucial time for both mother and baby, which is why we spend so much time poring over the right hospitals and facilities ahead of the event.

 

It’s important that we receive the optimum level of care for ourselves and our little ones, which is why concerns have been raised today regarding the length of hospital stays for new mums in Britain.

 

According to data published in the PLOS Medicine journal, British mothers are sent home sooner after giving birth than their counterparts in any other country in the developed world.

 

The statistics showed that British mums spend on average 36 hours/ a day-and-a-half in hospital after giving birth – a shorter stay than new mothers in Ghana and Liberia.

 

 

The research was carried out by a team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who compared the amount of time mothers from 92 countries spent in hospitals and related facilities after giving birth.

 

On the opposite end of the scale, it was discovered that new mums in the Ukraine spend the most time recovering in the maternity ward, spending on average 6.2 days there.

 

Insisting that many mums are leaving the hospital ‘too soon’ after giving birth, the study’s lead author Oona Campbell said that this could prevent medical staff from picking up on health issues or complications in both the mother and her child.

 

“It is crucial we make sure not only that childbirth facilities have skilled care attendants and effective monitoring and treatment, but also that women stay in hospital long enough so that they and their newborn babies can benefit from these,” she said.

 

Do you think the 36-hour average is too short?

 

SHARE if you were surprised by where the UK rates in the study.

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