[MATERNAL MORTALITY CASES IN ISRAEL AND IN COMPARISON WITH DEVELOPED COUNTRIES]

Maternal mortality during pregnancy and childbirth is a key indicator of the quality of healthcare and is crucial for setting healthcare goals. In recent years, there has been a reported trend of decreasing maternal mortality rates worldwide.

The current study aims to examine obstetrical and non-obstetrical causes associated with maternal mortality in Israel.

This retrospective cohort study examines maternal mortality cases in Israel from 2015 to 2022, using records obtained from Ministry of Health data and Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine publications. We compared these findings to data from developed countries as reported by the WHO.

Between the years 2015 and 2022, a maternal mortality rate of 2.6 per 100,000 births was reported in Israel, with 27 women dying during pregnancy, labor and puerperium. The average age at the time of death was 33 years. Most deaths (88.2%) occurred <24 weeks of gestation, 66.7% around labor. Overall, 92% of deaths were among healthy women with no prior known risk factors.

Our analysis found that most maternal deaths in Israel occurred in women without underlying medical conditions, making it difficult to link medical history to the cause of death.

Increasing awareness, regularly conducting extreme scenario drills, and discussing cases nationally may help reduce maternal mortality. The majority of cases of maternal death in our study occurred among healthy women, and most deaths occurred in the second trimester and through labor. No predictive factors were identified, highlighting the need to increase awareness and enhance healthcare team training to reduce mortality rates.