External reviews are underway into the delivery of 9 babies at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.
Since 2024, seven of the babies were blood or oxygen deprived - and that's a far higher rate than normally seen in hospitals either here or abroad.
Also under review is the care provided during two stillbirths in 2023.
Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy has many causes and is essentially a reduction in the supply of blood or oxygen to a baby’s brain before, during, or after birth.
Of the seven babies with HIE at Portiuncula since 2024, six were referred for neonatal hypothermic treatment, also known as neonatal cooling.
It cools a baby quickly after birth and keeps them cool for several days, slowing the brain’s metabolism to prevent further damage.
The incident rate of the condition at Portiuncula is significantly higher than what was observed nationally or internationally for a similar time frame.
Also under review is the care provided during the delivery of two stillbirths at the Ballinasloe hospital in 2023.
The HSE has now appointed a "highly experienced" management team to oversee and manage maternity services at Portiuncula over the coming months.
It's led by an external consultant obstetrician Dr Mark Skehan and includes a director of midwifery and a senior manager.
The HSE says these steps are part of a number of changes that it's taking as a result of concerns in relation to the provision of maternity services.