Pregnant women and new mothers with mental health difficulties are 'falling through the cracks'

Krysia Lynch, an advocate with The Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (Aims) Eire said: 'Maternal death data are always very difficult to reflect on'. File picture

    Pregnant women and new mothers with mental health difficulties are falling through the cracks of Ireland's healthcare system, advocates have warned.

It comes as new figures showed suicide was the leading cause of late maternal deaths between 2022 and 2024.

Earlier this week, the Maternal Death Enquiry (MDE) reported that suicide was the leading cause of deaths among women in the year after giving birth during the period.

On Friday, mental health minister Mary Butler said two key meetings are due to take place this month around plans for a specialist inpatient mother and baby psychiatric unit.

The proposed facility would allow women to remain with their babies while receiving care.