According to FIGO w4x and ACOG w3x, a pregnancy lasting
42 weeks or more is defined as postterm (PT). Epidemiological
studies have shown that after 41 weeks, the rate of fetal,
maternal and neonatal complications increase. As such, management
of this condition remains a matter of concern for
most clinicians. Many national scientific societies have produced
guidelines that are likely to be influenced by the characteristics
of the local health systems. The aim of this
document is to offer recommendations based on available
evidence. This document particularly emphasizes the findings
of published studies after 1990 to allow for more recent
changes in obstetric practice, new surveillance tests, induction
techniques and advances in neonatal care. The reported
level of evidence follows the criteria suggested by ACOG