Midwifery in Israel.

Socialized medicine provides free and easily accessible prenatal and intrapartum care in Israel. Mothers also receive the equivalent of dollars 100 to dollars 300 after delivering in hospital. The infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1000 live births. Uncomplicated births (80%) are attended by midwives. Midwives routinely rupture membranes, attach electronic fetal monitoring, give intravenous fluids and deliver in lithotomy position. Approximately 15% of women undergo induction, 20% augmentation, 40% epidural, 30% episiotomy, 17% cesarean section. In 2003, 1% of births were cesareans by maternal request, rather than medical necessity, and 0.1% of births were planned homebirths. The system processes 140,000 births per year with good medical outcomes, especially considering Israel is only 56 years old.