Pregnant asylum seeker women on Christmas Island pleaded with medical experts to adopt their children out to Australian families four months ago, as they became anxious about their future.

Child psychiatrist Sarah Mares said that during her visit to the centre in March, mothers and pregnant women on the island had extremely high levels of depression and anxiety, telling her they would rather die at sea than not be processed at Christmas Island.

''This is related to the womens' experience of prolonged indefinite detention in a situation where they don't feel adequate to care for their babies or to protect them. Many of these women have come from countries where there is considerable violence against women,'' said Dr Mares, who has 30 years' experience as a perinatal and child psychiatrist.