Prolonged pregnancy and perinatal distress

212 out of 2806 women who delivered in the Haguenau Maternity had a period of amenorrhoea markedly longer than 42 weeks, when the menstrual cycle was 28 +/- 8 days. 39 of the 212 pregnancies, which means 18 per cent of the infants, showed signs of postmaturity and in these there was an excess of fetal distress. Those children who were born after pregnancies which were theoretically "prolonged" but did not show signs of postmaturity did not suffer neonatal distress any more than those children born at term. Having scans of uterine growth makes one come to the conclusion that these are not really prolonged pregnancies.