Post-term pregnancy. I.

The perinatal mortality and morbidity of 185 post-term pregnancies managed by weekly trial inductions starting at 42 weeks' gestation were compared to those of 119 post-term pregnancies with spontaneous labor before a trial induction was accomplished. One stillbirth occurred in the spontaneous labor group and one in the induced group. There was no statistical difference in the maternal or fetal morbidity in terms of bradycardia in labor, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, meconium aspiration, 1-minute Apgar scores less than 4, macrosomia (more than 4000 g), neonatal pneumonia, and the incidence of cesarean section. This retrospective analysis suggests that standard clinical management is sufficient to assure optimal perinatal outcome in post-term pregnancies.