UPDATED 11.33AM: A Cairns mother arrested on suspicion of murdering eight children, including seven of her own, is expected to be charged on Sunday.

Mersane Warria, 37, remains under police guard at Cairns Hospital recovering from stab wounds.

Detective Inspector Bruno Asnicar on Sunday morning said detectives had formally interviewed Ms Warria and officers were working towards laying charges.

"We've achieved a lot overnight - I'm very happy with how it's going - and I'd expect we're not too far off getting to that point," Insp Asnicar told reporters.

"I anticipate with the progress we're making at the moment that we'd be in a much, much better position by this afternoon."

Insp Asnicar said the results of autopsies on Ms Warria's seven children and a niece, who were found dead at Ms Warria's home in the Cairns suburb of Manoora on Friday, could be known as early as Sunday.

Although knives from the scene are being forensically examined, suffocation is also a possible cause of death, he said.

"We are considering that and that's why it's taking a bit of time," he said.

"It could be a range of things, from suffocation to 1000 other things."

The inspector also addressed reports about problems in the neighbourhood, reported to be one of Cairns' worst areas.

"I'm not trying to pretend that this area hasn't been a problem in the past, but for my team, we haven't had any particular issues here," he said.

Insp Asnicar refused to comment on reports that the drug ice may have played a part in the deaths, saying any details along those lines would be presented in court.

Several church services on Sunday will remember the children - four girls aged two, 11, 12 and 14 and four boys aged five, six, eight and nine. Ms Warria was the mother of the seven youngest children and the eldest girl's aunt.