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Prolonged pregnancy. When to wait, when to intervene
1Department of Family Practice, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55408.
Careful antepartum testing and close observation of fetal well-being during labor and delivery are essential when pregnancy is prolonged. However, if the expected date of confinement is well documented and the pregnancy is at 43 weeks, a trial of labor or primary cesarean section is indicated because the risk of perinatal morbidity beyond 43 weeks is significantly increased.
Careful antepartum testing and close observation of fetal well-being during labor and delivery are essential when pregnancy is prolonged. However, if the expected date of confinement is well documented and the pregnancy is at 43 weeks, a trial of labor or primary cesarean section is indicated because the risk of perinatal morbidity beyond 43 weeks is significantly increased.