Management of post-Date Pregnancy

The problems of prolonged gestation place the modern obstetrical care giver in a delicate situation between increasing consumer pressures for non-interventionist approaches to obstetrical care and more active management with the potential pitfalls of failed induction, caesarean section, and other hazards. This paper will briefly discuss the definition, etiology and pathophysiology of prolonged gestation, but will focus on appropriate use of antepartum monitoring methods with the determination of fetal well-being, and methods of labour induction as well as intrapartum management.