23rd April 2026 | 4 min read
Why Northern Ireland Needs a Mother and Baby Unit for Perinatal Mental Health
The perinatal period is one of the most vulnerable times in a woman’s life. Almost 20,000 babies were born across Northern Ireland, and approximately 1,000 women and birthing people will experience a severe postnatal mental illness. Within the UK, suicide remains the leading cause of maternal death in the year following childbirth, highlighting the urgent need for accessible perinatal mental health services.
