MONTREAL (AFP) - A Quebec woman starved herself to death on Friday, on the same day a court was to set a trial date for her alleged drowning of her three young children, local media said.

Sonia Blanchette had been charged with murdering her children, aged two to five years, in December 2012 at the height of a custody dispute with her partner.

She had been granted supervised visits with her son and two daughters, but on the day of their death, she was left alone with them.

Jailed since her arrest, she began a hunger strike several months ago and was moved to a hospital in December weighing only 36kg, according to public broadcaster Radio-Canada.