NORTH-East women who have had a traumatic experience during childbirth are being urged to take part in a national survey.

The last study, carried out ten years ago, showed the region had more than double the number of complaints about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of any other part of the country.

Maureen Treadwell, co-ordinator of the Post-Natal Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Group, said: "We got 600 responses last time and about 20 per cent of them were from the North-East. It's a very high proportion.

"Ten years on, we want to see if the situation has changed and if it hasn't, how services can be improved to help women."

Mental health problems are now the leading cause of maternal death in the UK and a recent study by Warwick University psychologist Stephen Joseph indicated that as many as one in 20 women suffer from PTSD after childbirth.

This equates to about 25,000 women a year.

They suffer flashbacks, nightmares and anything that reminds them of their birth.

Some are so badly affected that they seek abortions when they become pregnant again, but the disorder can frequently be prevented with more appropriate care.

Mrs Treadwell said: "In the past, PTSD was not recognised because childbirth is in the normal range of experience.

"It has now been classified and people are beginning to realise the extent of it."

The data collected from the survey will be analysed by researchers at Warwick University.

The team is hoping to discover a pattern to the responses, which will indicate whether the problems stem from a lack of health authority funding.

The results will be fed back to the Commons All Party Group on Maternity Services.

"Hopefully, the survey will lead to improvements in maternity services, which will be of benefit to large numbers of women and their families," said Mrs Treadwell.