Religious sensitivity pitted against the need to know: autopsy of Jewish children in Israel.

Background: The aim of the study was to compare autopsy findings with antemortem findings in children who died in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Material/methods: Consecutive series of patients who died in the pediatric intensive care unit during 2-year period were used. The study was conducted as a retrospective chart review at community, regional-referral, university-affiliated tertiary medical center of 1200 bed in Israel.