Gustavo Manrique, hospital visitor reacts to news of the suicide. Courtesy of KHOU.

A TEXAS man has committed suicide in front of his horrified wife in a hospital maternity ward, just an hour after she gave birth to their child.

Michael Carl Nobles, 32, had been "distressed for some time" before his wife went into labour at Willowbrook Methodist Hospital in Houston, KHOU reports.

Although the hospital has a ‘no guns’ policy, Nobles smuggled in a pistol to the maternity ward and then shot himself in front of his horrified wife Kendra.

The baby was not in the room, and people outside reported hearing what sounded like arguing before the fatal gunshots.

Nobles was not treated at the hospital where he shot himself, but was taken by helicopter to nearby Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Michael and Kendra Nobles in a holiday photo posted to Kendra's Facebook page. Picture: Facebook

"We are a level one trauma center," Memorial Hermann Hospital spokeswoman Alex Rodriguez told the New York Daily News, "so depending on the acuity of a patient that will determine where a patient goes."

The incident left some patients and their families questioning security at the hospital in northwest Houston.

"They should probably have more security if they’re going to let people in the institution like that,'' Gustavo Manrique told the TV station.

Willowbrook Methodist Hospital called the incident isolated, and said no other patients or staff were in harm's way.

"There are many signs visible throughout all of our facilities stating that the carrying of a handgun on the premises is prohibited by state law," Methodist public relations manager, George Kovacik,told The Houston Chronicle.

"We also have security officers and armed off-duty police officers working at all of our facilities around the clock."

Readers in need of support can contact suicide prevention hotline Lifeline on 13 11 14.

