The HSE has announced external reviews into the delivery of nine babies at Portiuncula University Hospital.
In a statement, the hospital highlighted that since last year, seven babies have had hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), resulting in six of them being referred for neonatal hypothermic treatment, also referred to as neonatal cooling.
It added that the previous year, two stillbirths occurred at the hospital.
The care provided in relation to those two deliveries is also currently being reviewed externally.
The HSE has confirmed there were six babies delivered with HIE in 2024 and one baby with HIE in 2025.
A "highly experienced management team" has been appointed to oversee maternity services at the Galway hospital over the coming months.
The team, led by external consultant obstetrician Dr Mark Skehan, will be responsible for managing and supporting all aspects of maternity and gynaecology and neonatal services.
The HSE said the team will report directly to the HSE West and North West regional management.
In a statement, Regional Clinical Director HSE West and North West Dr Pat Nash apologised to the women and families "for whom this news will be worrying or upsetting".
"We are making these changes now to ensure that the maternity service at Portiuncula is as safe as possible for mothers and their babies.
"This incidence of HIE, resulting in referral for neonatal cooling treatment, is significantly higher than that observed nationally or internationally for a similar time frame.
"HIE has many causes and is essentially the reduction in the supply of blood or oxygen to a baby's brain before, during, or even after birth. Therapeutic Hypothermia is now considered the standard treatment for term infants with moderate to severe HIE.
"This treatment involves cooling a baby quickly after birth and keeping them cool for several days. It slows the brain’s metabolism and can prevent further damage. The sooner body cooling starts, the better the outcomes for the baby."
The HSE also said between 2019 and 2023, a further eight reviews took place into cases that "gave rise for concern".
The HSE said it met with each of the families at that time and shared their review findings with them.
It said a series of service improvement plans and other measures were implemented at the unit following the reviews.
The report was commissioned in January 2015 to examine the care of 18 babies at the hospital in Galway.
It found that there was a general lack of skills and training among front line staff.
The report said that "care when things were progressing normally appeared to be of a high standard but the response to a deteriorating situation was often slow and deficient".
Particular concerns at the time were the lack of skills in the assessment of CTGs and the lack of access to quality ultrasound scanning and training.
The report also said that there were nine cases of major management errors which would have probably made a difference to the outcome of the case. There was a lack of obstetric consultant supervision in the labour ward, according to the report.
The Department of Health has said new Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has been briefed "in the last few days on the situation at Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH)".
"Her thoughts in the first instance are with those women and their babies - whose care is the subject of the ongoing reviews.
"The Minister is of the view that patient safety is paramount and notes with importance the assignment of an external management team to work with the maternity service at PUH to ensure the service is as safe as possible for prospective mothers," a statement said.
It added: "Once the individual reviews are complete the Minister will consider next steps with her officials and the HSE.
"The Minister is very conscious of the importance of neonatal care and the avoidance of any harm and points to the very strong focus on neonatal care and patient safety in the Programme for Government."
Women attending the maternity unit and who have questions can contact the HSE on 1800 807 008.
