The management of a postdate (greater than 42 weeks) pregnancy with no apparent complication is often unclear. This study compares the intrapartum courses and perinatal outcomes between 101 postdate pregnancies and 322 term pregnancies. The mean maternal age, race, parity and type of care service were not significantly different between the two groups. Signs of fetal compromise were also not different, but a large fetus was more common (p less than 0.01) in the postdate pregnancies (16 cases). The need for cesarean section (13 cases) or midforceps manipulation (7 cases) was increased fourfold in the postdate over the term pregnancies (p less than 0.05). Meconium during labor was not more common in the postdate pregnancies, but the one postdate perinatal death occurred in the neonatal period from severe meconium aspiration complications. A postdate pregnancy with no apparent complications may safely be observed closely.