The most widely anticipated pregnancy since Princess Diana's in 1981 is official: Prince William's wife, Kate, is pregnant.
St James' Palace announced the pregnancy yesterday, saying that the Duchess of Cambridge - formerly known as Kate Middleton - has a severe form of morning sickness and is currently in a London hospital. William is at his wife's side.
News of the pregnancy drew congratulations from across the world, with the hashtag 'royalbaby' trending globally on Twitter.
The couple's first child will be third in line to take the throne - leapfrogging the gregarious Prince Harry and possibly setting up the first scenario in which a United Kingdom female heir could benefit from new gender rules about succession.
The palace would not say how far along the 30-year-old duchess is, only that she has not yet reached the 12-week mark. Palace officials said the duchess was hospitalised with hyperemesis gravidarum, a potentially dangerous type of morning sickness where vomiting is so severe no food or liquid can be kept down.
They said she was expected to remain hospitalised for several days and would require a period of rest afterward.
"It's not unusual for pregnant women to get morning sickness, but when it gets to the point where you're dehydrated, losing weight or vomiting so much you begin to build up (toxic) products in your blood, that's a concern," said Dr Kecia Gaither, director of maternal foetal medicine at Brookdale University and Medical Center in New York.
Common in young women
The condition is thought to affect about one in 50 pregnant women and tends to be more common in young women, women who are pregnant for the first time, those expecting multiple babies and in non-smokers.
Gaither said that fewer than one per cent of women with the condition need to be hospitalised.
Doctors aren't sure what causes it, but suspect it could be linked to hormonal changes or nutritional problems.
Women admitted to the hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum are usually treated with nutritional supplements and given fluids intravenously to treat dehydration. Dr Dagni Rajasingam, a spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said most women hospitalised with the condition are discharged within several days.
"It depends on how well the woman is keeping fluids down," she said.
If the problem is recognised and treated early, doctors say there are no long-term effects for either the mother or the child. Left untreated, the mother could be at risk of developing neurological problems - including seizures - or risk delivering the baby early.
Gaither said the condition usually subsides by the second trimester.
"The rest of the pregnancy could be entirely uneventful," she said, adding that pregnant women treated for the condition are usually advised to avoid fatty foods that could aggravate the problem.
Gaither said the duchess would probably be able to meet her usual royal obligations by her second trimester.
"She should be able to meet all her public obligations soon," she said, advising her to take her vitamins and ensure there are no other underlying health problems. "She should just be looking forward to having a healthy little plump person.
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