Rejection of the abortion referendum could jeopardise the care of ill mothers, the group Doctors for Life has claimed.
The organisation said there were no good medical reasons for voting No to the amendment and doctors who stated the opposite were wrong.
On the contrary, the amendment gave legislative protection to the best elements of current medical practice. Calling for a Yes vote, Doctors for Life spokesman Dr Phil Boyle said the amendment made, for the first time, a clear distinction between the direct and intentional killing of the unborn and the unfortunate and rare circumstances where a baby died as an unavoidable side-effect of the necessary treatment of an ill mother, and provided legislative protection for such treatment.
"Rejection of the amendment risks jeopardising the care of ill mothers and will do nothing to protect their babies," he said.
"Abortion is not a treatment for any condition in an ill mother. The amendment recognises this simple reality and prohibits the intentional destruction of unborn babies while, at the same time, providing for and protecting all other other necessary medical treatment," said Dr Boyle.
"If some doctors are in favour of the introduction of an abortion regime into Ireland on ideological grounds then they should simply and clearly say so. But they should not argue the necessity for abortion for psychological, psychiatric or physical reasons when no such reasons, in fact, exist.
"On the contrary, there is increasing evidence that abortion itself can have significant negative outcomes for women, including severe psychological reactions, depression and suicide, as well as an increased risk of breast cancer and infertility."
Dr Boyle said the 1992 Supreme Court decision in the X case was neither the proper interpretation of the 8th amendment nor the proper ethical approach to the treatment of crisis pregnancy and he welcomed the amendment's reversal of this decision.
"No doctor really wants an abortion regime of the kind that X provides for - wide-ranging, without regulation, without limits. Only a Yes vote on March 6th can prevent this."