Kensington Palace has said that the Duchess of Sussex will still travel to Fiji and Tonga during this autumn tour despite the Zika warnings for pregnant women. Both countries still have a moderate risk of the Zika virus.
The Duke and Duchess have consulted with medical professionals and have decided to go ahead with the visits to the two Pacific island nations.
Meghan, who is in good health and has had her 12-week scan, is due to give birth during the spring of 2019. Kensington Palace made the announcement this morning ahead of the start of the Duke and Duchess’s tour through Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Tonga.
Many believed that the Duchess would not get pregnant until after the couple returned from their tour due to the concerns over Zika.
So, what is the Zika virus and why is it dangerous for pregnant women?
The Zika virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, can cause serious problems for pregnant women and their babies, as a woman who contracts the disease can pass it on to their child in the womb. Zika can cause severe birth defects including microcephaly – a condition in which babies are born with heads that are too small. It can also cause learning and physical disabilities for children as they grow up. Hearing and vision problems can also be a result of the infection.
The World Health Organization has said that Zika causes an “increased risk of neurologic complications is associated with Zika virus infection in adults and children, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, neuropathy and myelitis.”
Their Royal Highness’s decision for Meghan to continue on to Fiji and Tonga will, no doubt, be controversial due to the dangers the disease poses for pregnant women. However, the Duke and Duchess, who are aware of the Zika worry, will have consulted with some of the best doctors and will not have made a hasty decision regarding this part of the tour.
"; n.innerHTML = "window._taboola = window._taboola || [];_taboola.push({mode:'thumbnails-a', container:'taboola-below-article-thumbnails', placement:'Below Article Thumbnails', target_type: 'mix'});"; insertAfter(t, e); insertAfter(n, t) }injectWidgetByMarker('tbmarker');
