Green-top Guidelines are evidence-based clinical guidelines produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) in the UK. They give national recommendations for best practice in maternity and gynaecology care. 

They are called “green-top” because the original printed booklets had green covers.

What Green-top Guidelines Are

They are:

  • National best-practice standards

  • Written by experts in obstetrics, fetal medicine, midwifery and related fields

  • Used by NHS maternity units to guide clinical care

  • Highly trusted and referenced in investigations, safety reviews and training

Each guideline focuses on a specific clinical topic, such as:

  • Reduced fetal movements

  • Pre-eclampsia

  • Induction of labour

  • Caesarean birth

  • Preterm birth

  • Diabetes in pregnancy

  • VBAC

  • Thrombosis in pregnancy

Why They Matter

They tell clinicians:

  • What care should be given

  • What tests or monitoring are recommended

  • What is not recommended

  • How to manage different risk levels

  • When to escalate care

  • What evidence supports each recommendation

They are the gold-standard reference for UK maternity care.

You can read the full Green Top Guideline No 57 (Reduced Fetal Movement) below 

Green Top Guidelines