Japan's Princess Kiko has developed complications with her pregnancy and may have to give birth to her third child by Cesarean section, palace officials said yesterday.
Kiko -- who is due to give birth in late September -- has symptoms indicating partial placenta previa, a condition in which part of the placenta drops too low in the uterus, palace doctor Ichiro Kanazawa said in a statement released through the Imperial Household Agency.
"There is a high risk of early bleeding, infection or pre-term birth triggered by the placenta previa," Kanazawa said. "In order to prevent these possible complications, the Princess will have to rest for some time."
He said Kiko needs rest and peace of mind, although her condition does not require immediate hospitalization.
"We believe a Cesarean section will be needed at the time of delivery, which is highly likely to come at an earlier date than originally expected," Kanazawa said.
He did not venture a prediction on the timing of the birth, however.
The doctor said both Kiko and the fetus, whose sex has not been disclosed, are in good health, but added that Kiko might have to be hospitalized if her condition gets worse.
The pregnancy of the 39-year-old wife of Prince Akishino, who is the second son of Emperor Akihito, has won national attention because the imperial family has failed to produce a male heir to the throne since 1965.
Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife, Masako, have only one child -- four-year-old Princess Aiko.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had pushed for legislation that would allow a woman to take the Imperial throne as a way to resolve the royal succession crisis.
But Kiko's pregnancy announcement in February raised hopes for a male heir and took the steam out of Koizumi's drive. The prime minister later hinted he may shelve the legislation.
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