Many Muslim women object to men in the delivery room

The most common complaints were about lack of privacy and being treated by male doctors.

Many problems were caused by a lack of understanding about the Muslim faith but some were due to discrimination, the report found.

The report follows a study into maternal deaths showing ethnic minority women had the highest mortality rates.

The 2001 study cited social exclusion, ethnicity, lack of English and late or irregular access to ante-natal care as significant risk factors.

Maternity services must be informed and shaped by the diverse needs of the communities they serve Ruba Sivagnanam, Maternity Alliance

Religion was not examined in the study but a large proportion of those who died had origins in countries with large Muslim populations such as Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Maternity Alliance spokeswoman Ruba Sivagnanam said better-targeted care could help improve the situation.

"Maternity services must be informed and shaped by the diverse needs of the communities they serve.

"Increasing accessibility and quality of maternity care will improve health outcomes in the UK's black and minority ethnic communities, including Muslim communities," she said.

"Dangerous"

There are around 1.6 million Muslims in the UK - approximately 3% of the population and the second-largest faith group after Christians.

Research for the Maternity Alliance report, Experiences of Maternity Services: Muslim Women's Perspectives, was conducted in areas of England and Scotland with large Muslim populations.

Some health workers were praised for their sensitivity but most of women in the study said they had experienced some form of stereotyping or discrimination during their pregnancy care.

The most negative perceptions were of health care assistants and nurses on post-natal wards who were frequently criticised for being "unsympathetic" and treating Muslim women "differently", the report said.

Several women thought discrimination had got worse because of fears about Islamic fundamentalist terrorism meaning they were seen as "dangerous," the report's authors added.

Other issues raised by participants were difficulty obtaining halal food and access to prayer rooms.

The report being unveiled in the House of Lords on Thursday makes a number of recommendations.

They include more staff training, better-targeted facilities and services and more effective anti-discrimination policies.