PARIS — France is considering reducing the time mothers spend in maternity wards as part of efforts to cut spending.
On average, French mothers spend 4.2 days in the hospital during and after giving birth, compared to two days in the United States and 1.6 in Britain, according to statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
A report Thursday by the French state health care agency says there could be ‘‘significant’’ cost savings if maternity wards reduced the average length of stay and the numbers of beds. At the same time, a plan to help new mothers at home is to be developed.
The government plans to cut $68 billion in public spending by 2017, including $13.6 billion from health care.