A woman in her 40s died at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva one day after undergoing emergency surgery during her seventh pregnancy, in which the fetus was delivered without signs of life, the hospital said Thursday. The woman suffered massive bleeding and her condition deteriorated rapidly.
The hospital said she arrived at 34 weeks pregnant suffering from abdominal pain. After her condition worsened because of what the hospital described as a rare complication, she was rushed into surgery.
The woman underwent emergency surgery but did not survive. Illustration
(Photo: Shutterstock)
During the operation, the fetus was delivered without signs of life. The woman was then transferred in serious condition to the intensive care unit. She died the following day.
Soroka said it “shares in the family’s profound grief.” The case has been reported to the Health Ministry and is now under review.
It is not the first maternal death in Israel in recent months following a severe pregnancy complication. In April, Reut Cohen, 35, of Ra’anana, died during her first pregnancy with twins after collapsing at home and undergoing an emergency C-section at Meir Medical Center. The twins also did not survive. The Health Ministry established an investigative committee following that case.
Maternal deaths are exceptionally rare in Israel by global standards. According to data based on the World Health Organization and OECD, Israel records roughly two to three maternal deaths per 100,000 births, placing it among the safest countries in the world for childbirth, alongside Spain, Australia and the Czech Republic.
By comparison, the WHO reports a maternal mortality rate of 346 deaths per 100,000 births in low-income countries, roughly 100 times higher than in developed countries.