Post-term pregnancy: fetal death rate with antepartum surveillance.
Management of the post-term pregnancy depends on the certainty of dating, likelihood of successful induction, and risks of expectant management. To estimate the risk of fetal death in an expectantly managed post-term population, we reviewed 8038 consecutive post-term gestations followed expectantly with a twice-weekly nonstress test and amniotic fluid index. There were nine antepartum fetal deaths and no intrapartum fetal deaths, a fetal mortality rate of 1.12 per 1000. Timing of delivery of the post-term gestation balances this risk of loss of a viable fetus with the risks of uncertain dating and failure of induction of labor.
Grubb
D K
DK
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Rabello
Y A
YA
Paul
R H
RH
D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007233:Infant, Postmature; D011247:Pregnancy