Japan: princess Kiko in danger

Japan: princess Kiko in danger

Kiko, who is due to give birth in late September, has symptoms of placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta drops too low in the uterus, an Imperial Household Agency spokesman quoted palace doctor Ichiro Kanazawa as saying.

Although both the mother and her unborn baby are in stable condition, Kiko may have to give birth to her third child by Caesarean section due to possible bleeding or pre-term birth, the agency said.

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, according to the AP.