THE MANAGEMENT OF PROLONGED PREGNANCY - AN ANALYSIS OF WOMENS ATTITUDES BEFORE AND AFTER TERM

Objective - To determine the attitude of pregnant women to a proposal of conservative management of prolonged pregnancy. Design - A prospective questionnaire-based survey. Setting - Louise Margaret Maternity Wing, Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot. Subjects - 500 pregnant women initially at 37 weeks gestation considered suitable for the potential conservative management of prolonged pregnancy. Results-Despite a stated obstetric preference for conservative management, only 45% of the women at 37 weeks gestation were agreeable to conservative management; of those undelivered by 41 weeks gestation 31% still desired conservative management. This significant decrease was unaffected by parity or certainty of gestational age. Conclusions - Most pregnant women are unwilling to accept the conservative management of prolonged pregnancy and become more reluctant to do so if undelivered by 41 weeks gestation. Women are not as favourably disposed towards the conservative management of pregnancy as has been suggested previously.