Delivering a baby underwater is "neither natural nor safe", according to Dr Peter Boylan, author of The Irish Pregnancy Book and ex-master of the National Maternity Hospital. "It is a hazardous undertaking, similar to putting a baby in the front seat of a car and not putting a seat belt on them, " he told the Sunday Tribune. "I don't want to be alarmist, but if more people start having water births, I think it would lead to more incidences of death."

Boylan was speaking following an inquest last week into the death of a baby during an underwater delivery in a birthing pool. Pathologist Dr Peter Kelehan found that baby Harry Eccles had died of "an acute near drowning event" caused by the inhalation of fresh water.

Boylan said this eventuality was always a risk with underwater deliveries. "If a baby is born on dry land, you can at least say with certainty that it won't drown, " he said. "Certainly hospitals shouldn't be advocating birth underwater. I would be completely against the expansion of water birth services."

Underwater delivery was also described as "simply not safe" by Prof John Morrison, consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at University College Hospital Galway. "I would not advocate it under any circumstances and I would certainly be against plans to expand the services in hospitals around the country, " he said.

Dr Peter McKenna of the Rotunda Hospital also vehemently opposes underwater birth, saying there was "no logic" in this type of delivery. "It seems to be an indulgence on behalf of the woman and the carer, " he said.

However, there was support for water births from Dr Declan Keane, current master of the National Maternity Hospital, who has carried out water births in the UK. Keane hopes to install a birthing pool at Holles Street when space becomes available. But, he said, it would then be up for discussion whether actual underwater deliveries would take place.

"Babies can be born underwater, but they have to be taken out very quickly, " he said. "I don't know if we would do that in the hospital."

For self-employed Dublin midwife Philomena Canning, there's no question about the safety of birthing pools.

Canning has been delivering babies underwater for seven years, with the majority of her clients opting for this type of birth. "It gives women a choice, an alternative to subjecting themselves and their babies to drugs, " she said. "The baby does not breathe until it comes out of the water. Provided the baby is healthy, this is a perfectly safe option. There is no exception to that rule. A healthy baby will be perfectly safe during an underwater delivery."

Safety was never a worry for Trish Cronnelly from Wicklow, who chose to have her third child in a birthing pool. "I was thinking about using the pool, but I hadn't necessarily decided to give birth in the pool, " she said.

"I just completely trusted my midwife to do what was best for me and my baby. My midwife is a professional and an expert. She knows what she is doing. She wasn't going to put my baby in danger."

Cronnelly was fully dilated when she entered the pool. "It was a beautiful summer morning, and I had just got to that stage where I felt that I might not be able to keep going, " she said. "I got into the pool, and it was just pure bliss. A natural epidural, basically. The water was so soothing around me. It was honestly a wonderful experience. Afterwards, we got out and my midwife cleaned the pool and put in fresh water. Then I got back in with my new baby and my two older children, and we had our first bath together. It was peaceful and joyful. Hundreds of women have birth this way in Ireland. To make a blanket statement that 'it's not safe' . . .that's just people who don't know better."