In rare case, US infant dies from COVID-19

WASHINGTON - A US infant has died from the COVID-19 illness, officials in the state of Illinois said on Saturday, marking an extremely rare case of juvenile death in the global pandemic.

At a news conference, Governor JB Pritzker said "an infant" was among the fatalities linked to the new coronavirus over the previous 24 hours.

The state Department of Public Health said the child who died in Chicago was younger than one year old and had tested positive for COVID-19.

"There has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant," the department's director Ngozi Ezike said in a statement.

"A full investigation is underway to determine the cause of death." 

Pritzker described himself as shaken by the news.

"I know how difficult this news can be, especially about this very young child," he said.

"It's especially sorrowful for the family of this very small child, for the years stolen from this infant. We should grieve."

Last week, top French health official Jerome Salomon said a 16-year-old girl had died in the Ile-de-France region of Paris and its surroundings.

"Severe forms (of coronavirus) with the young are very rare," Salomon noted.

In the US state of California last week, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said that a teenager had tested positive for COVID-19 and died.

But the agency added the case is complex and there may be an alternate explanation.

Multiple studies have found the virus disproportionately affects older patients and those with underlying conditions.

The United States has the highest number of new coronavirus cases in the world, more than 120,000, although its death toll of more than 2,000 is still below that of other countries including Italy, Spain and China.

More than 450 US deaths occurred over the 24-hour period prior to Saturday afternoon.

The Chicago baby was among 13 new deaths in Illinois.

Agence France-Presse

Katy Perry is pregnant

Congratulations is in order for Katy Perry!

More than a year since her engagement to actor Orlando Bloom, the “Roar” singer revealed through the music video of “Never Worn White” that they are expecting their first child together.

Launched on Thursday (Manila time), Perry can be seen at the end of the clip wearing a white dress, cradling her now apparent baby bump.

The “American Idol” judge also confirmed the good news when she did a live Instagram broadcast after the unveiling of the music video.

“There’s a lot that will be happening this summer. Not only will I be giving birth literally, but also figuratively to something you guys have been waiting for. Let’s just call it a double whammy,” she said.

“I am excited. We are excited and happy. It’s probably the longest secret I’ve had to keep. I’d like to tell you guys everything but I know I would tell you in the best way which is through a piece of music. Because that’s how I speak to you,” she added.


Perry clarified that “Never Worn White” is not the lead single for her upcoming album "KP5" but she said “it is a good way, I think, to start out. I had to reveal that at some point. It’s getting pretty obvious.”

This is going to be Bloom’s second child. He already has a nine-year-old son Flynn with his ex-wife Miranda Kerr.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Vietnam's coronavirus cases climb to 15, baby infected

HANOI - Vietnam confirmed another case of the new coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing its total to 15, the health ministry said.

The latest case is a 3-month-old baby, infected by her grandmother, who tested positive for the virus on Feb. 9, the ministry said in a statement.

It said 10 out of 15 confirmed case are from the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

Vietnam has made plans to quarantine hundreds of its citizens returning from China, including 950 at military camps outside Hanoi, and another 900 at temporary facilities on the Vietnam-China border.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World's tiniest surviving baby born in California

LOS ANGELES -- A California hospital on Wednesday disclosed the birth of the world's smallest baby ever to survive, weighing a mere 245 grams -- the same as a large apple -- when she was born.

The girl, nicknamed Saybie by hospital staff, was born 23 weeks and 3 days into her mother's pregnancy at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns in San Diego.

The father was told by doctors that he would have about an hour with his daughter before she passed away.

"But that hour turned into 2 hours which turned into a day, which turned into a week," the mother said in a video released by the hospital.

Doctors said Saybie was delivered via emergency cesarean section in December after severe pregnancy complications that put her mother's life at risk.

After nearly 5 months at the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, she was discharged home earlier this month weighing a healthy five pounds and sporting a graduation cap.

"She is a miracle, that's for sure," said Kim Norby, one of the nurses who cared for Saybie as she fought to survive with a sign that read "tiny but mighty" posted by her crib.

Emma Wiest, another nurse, said Saybie was so tiny at birth that "you could barely see her on the bed."

At birth, she weighed as much as a child's juice box and could fit in the palm of the hands of her caretakers.

"I'd heard that we had such a tiny baby and it sounded unbelievable because I mean she's about half of the weight as a normal 23-weaker," Wiest said.

Saybie's ranking as the world's tiniest baby ever to survive is according to the Tiniest Babies Registry, maintained by the University of Iowa.

The previous record was held by a baby born in Germany in 2015 who weighed seven grams more than Saybie.

"Every life is a miracle -- those that defy the odds even more so," Edward Bell, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Iowa who oversees the Registry, told AFP.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kim Kardashian announces birth of 4th child

LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian on Friday announced the arrival of her fourth child, a boy born via a surrogate.

"He's here and he's perfect!" Kardashian told her 60 million Twitter followers in a posting.

"He’s also Chicago’s twin lol I’m sure he will change a lot but now he looks just like her," the reality star added.

Kardashian and her musician husband Kanye West have three other children - Chicago, a girl who was born in January 2018 also via a surrogate, son Saint, 3, and daughter North, 5.

The new baby's name was not revealed.

Kardashian has said she decided to use a surrogate after doctors warned of serious health risks following the birth of Saint in 2015 if she became pregnant again. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Model breastfeeds baby on catwalk, stirs debate

MIAMI, United States - An American model has made a splash by breastfeeding her baby daughter on a Miami catwalk -- no small gesture in a country where many women still feel uncomfortable nursing in public.

Walking the runway at a Sports Illustrated swimsuit show on Sunday, Mara Martin stepped out in a sparkling gold bikini while breastfeeding five-month-old Aria, kitted out for the occasion in green swimwear and noise-cancelling headphones.

In an Instagram post a day later, Martin expressed thanks for the overwhelmingly positive public response -- which far outweighed the smattering of posts on her social media feed criticizing the move as "not appropriate" or even "gross."

"I can't believe I am waking up to headlines with me and my daughter in them for doing something I do every day," she wrote. "It is truly so humbling and unreal to say the least."

"I'm so grateful to be able to share this message and hopefully normalize breastfeeding and also show others that women CAN DO IT ALL!"

According to Martin and organizers interviewed Tuesday on NBC's "Today," it was a spontaneous decision to breastfeed Aria on the runway.

"She was getting a little hungry and it was her dinner time, because the show kept getting pushed back," Martin told "Today."

So when one of the team suggested she go ahead and nurse her on the runway, she said yes.

The debate over public breastfeeding regularly resurfaces in the United States, where women are strongly encouraged to nurse their babies, even though many return to work within weeks of giving birth.

While all but a handful of US states give legal protection to mothers who breastfeed in public, much of society remains squeamish about the practice.

Cases of women being asked to cover up while feeding babies in restaurants, in stores or on public transport sporadically make headlines in the country -- with "nurse-ins" held in protest to demand wider acceptance of the practice.

In the latest breastfeeding-related controversy, President Donald Trump weighed in this month to defend women's "access" to formula milk, after the United States was accused of seeking to torpedo a World Health Organization resolution promoting breastfeeding.

The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of six months, and partial breastfeeding for two years or more.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kylie Jenner introduces baby Stormi with an Instagram snap

LOS ANGELES - Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the celebrity Kardashian clan, revealed on Tuesday that she had named her new baby daughter Stormi, and posted the first picture of her.

Jenner, 20, posted a close-up photo on her Instagram account showing a baby dressed in pink clasping her pink manicured thumb.

The post was titled simply "Stormi."

Jenner announced on Sunday that her child with rapper Travis Scott was born on Feb. 1 and apologized for keeping her pregnancy secret from her 101 million Instagram followers and other fans. 

Jenner has parlayed her family's "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" reality TV show into a lucrative cosmetics line.

Stormi is the second of 3 additions to the Kardashian clan this year. Half-sister Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West announced the arrival in January of their third child, a girl they called Chicago, who was born to a surrogate.

Jenner's other half-sister, Khloe Kardashian, is 7 months pregnant with her basketball player boyfriend Tristan Thompson.

Stormi joins Kardashian cousins North, Saint, Reign, Dream, Mason and Penelope. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kim Kardashian announces baby's birth via surrogate

LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian and her rapper husband Kanye West announced their third child on Tuesday, a girl born to a surrogate.

"Kanye and I are happy to announce the arrival of our healthy, beautiful baby girl," Kardashian said in a message on her app.

The couple thanked the unidentified surrogate "who made our dreams come true with the greatest gift one could give."

They said the baby was born on Monday but they did not announce a name.

Kardashian, 37, and West are already parents to North, 4, and Saint, 2. The "Keeping Up with the Kadashians" reality and social media star has said she decided to use a surrogate after doctors warned of serious health risks if she became pregnant again.

Kardashian has given detailed accounts on her blog about the difficulties she experienced during her two labors.

Two of Kardashian's sisters are also expecting babies. Khloe Kardashian, 33, announced in December that she is six months pregnant with her basketball player boyfriend Tristan Thomas, while their half-sister Kylie Jenner, 20, is reported to be expecting her first child soon.

The arrival of Kardashian and West's third child swiftly became on of the top five trending topics on Twitter.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Serena Williams gives birth to baby girl - coach

Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl, the first child for the former world number one tennis player, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on Twitter on Friday.

The 35-year-old American, who is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, has not competed since winning the Australian Open in January but has posted several videos to social media showing her hitting balls during her pregnancy.

"Congratulations @SerenaWilliams for your baby girl. I am so happy for you and I feel your emotion," Mouratoglou wrote.

"Btw ... I wish you a speedy recovery... we have a lot of work ahead of us," he added.

Williams has dominated the sport for the past decade and is one grand slam short of Australian Margaret Court's record of 24 major titles.

She confirmed her pregnancy in April hours after triggering frenzied speculation when she accidentally posted a short-lived selfie on social media with the caption: "20 weeks".

Williams, the world's highest-paid female athlete, was about two months pregnant when she captured her 23rd grand slam singles title at the Australian Open.

She told Vogue magazine last month about her "outrageous plan" to defend her title in Australia, where the year's first grand slam will be played from Jan. 15-28.

Other women have left the tour to have children and returned at a high level, although none has done so at Williams' age.

Kim Clijsters of Belgium retired and had a child before coming back at age 26 and winning three grand slam titles.

Australians Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Court also won grand slam titles after having children.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher welcome second child

Actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher announced the birth of their second child together, a spokeswoman for Kunis confirmed on Thursday.

The couple has yet to name the baby boy born on Wednesday, the website E! News reported.

The actors and producers have a two-year-old daughter, Wyatt. They became engaged in February 2014 after a two-year relationship and married in July 2015.

Kutcher, 38, and Kunis, 33, met as co-stars on the set of "That '70s show," a television series aired in the United States between 1998 and 2006 in which their characters were also in a relationship.

Kutcher, who also starred in the television series "Two and a Half Men," among his other roles, shot to international fame when he began dating actress Demi Moore, to whom he was married from 2005 to 2013.

Kunis previously had a long-term relationship with actor Macaulay Culkin.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Zuckerbergs share news: baby girl on the way

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla, revealed on Friday that their first child is on the way after a series of miscarriages.

"We're expecting a baby girl!" Zuckerberg said in a post on his page at the leading social network.

"In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up 'like' with her hand, so I'm already convinced she takes after me."

Zuckerberg revealed in that he and his wife have been trying to have a child for a couple of years during which she had three miscarriages. He said the couple opened up about the painful experience to give others in similar situations reason to hope.

"It's a lonely experience," Zuckerberg said.

"Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you -- as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own."

Priscilla's pregnancy was far enough along that the risk of loss is low, according to Zuckerberg.

"Cilla and our child are both healthy, I'm extremely excited to meet her and our dog Beast has no idea what's coming," Zuckerberg said in the post, which was signed off on by his wife.

"We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world -- Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cristine Reyes' baby girl is now home

MANILA -- Actress Cristine Reyes was able to bring her baby daughter Amarah home more than a week after she gave birth last February 8.

Reyes posted a photo of Amarah on her Facebook page on Tuesday.

This was only the second time the actress shared a photo of the baby, who was born prematurely. Reyes posted the first photo of Amarah five days after giving birth.

"She really is a fighter," Reyes wrote in the caption, which is also a reference to the baby's father, MMA fighter Ali Khatibi.

Reyes said the baby spent 10 days in the hospital, including six days in a neonatal intensive-care unit. Amarah was also on oxygen support for a day.

"Thank you mommies and preemie moms for the prayers," Reyes said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Woman has baby after womb transplant in world first: Lancet

PARIS - A 36-year-old Swede has become the world's first woman to give birth after receiving a womb transplant, medical journal The Lancet said on Saturday, describing the event as a breakthrough for infertile women.

The healthy baby boy was born last month, it said. Both mother and infant are doing well.

Weighing 1.775 kilos (3.9 pounds), the baby was born by Caesarean section at 31 weeks after the mother developed pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy condition, the journal said.

The woman had a genetic condition called Rokitansky syndrome which meant she was born without a womb, although her ovaries were intact.

The surgeons said the exploit smashes through the last major barrier of female infertility -- the absence of a uterus as a result of heredity or surgical removal for medical reasons.

"Absolute uterine factor infertility is the only major type of female infertility that is still viewed as untreatable," they said in a paper published by the British journal.

The replacement organ came from a 61-year-old woman, a close family friend who had been through menopause seven years earlier. The organ was transplanted in a 10-hour operation last year.

The recipient underwent in-vitro fertilization, in which eggs were harvested from her ovaries and fertilized using sperm from her partner, and then cryogenically preserved.

A year after the transplant, a single early-stage embryo was inserted into the transplanted womb. A pregnancy test three weeks later was positive.

The womb encountered a brief episode of rejection, but this was successfully tackled by increasing a dose of corticosteroid drugs to suppress the immune system.

- A decade of research -

"Our success is based on more than 10 years of intensive animal research and surgical training by our team and opens up the possibility of treating many young females worldwide that suffer from uterine infertility," the Lancet quoted Professor Matts Braennstroem of the University of Gothenburg, who led the operation, as saying.

"What is more, we have demonstrated the feasibility of live-donor uterus transplantation, even from a post-menopausal donor."

Rokitansky syndrome -- Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuester-Hauser syndrome to give it its full name -- affects approximately one in 4,500 newborn girls, previous research has found.

The options open to women with this disorder, or who have had a hysterectomy, are adoption or having a baby through a surrogate mother.

But surrogacy is not allowed in many countries because of ethical, legal or religious reasons.

The unnamed Swede was one of nine who received a uterus from live donors under Braennstroem's programme.

Two of them had to undergo hysterectomy within a few months, either because the womb became infected or blood flow to it became clotted, the paper said.

The other seven women began menstruation during the first two to three months, and the transplanted organs remained viable during the first year after the operation.

Two other transplant attempts have been reported elsewhere, but neither resulted in a live birth.

The first, carried out in Saudi Arabia in 2000, ended in failure after three months when the uterus became necrotic and had to removed.

The second, carried out in Turkey in 2011, entailed a uterus that was transplanted from a deceased donor, resulting in pregnancies that miscarried within six weeks.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Can you afford a baby?

MANILA, Philippines - A baby’s arrival into a family is always marked by great changes. The peace and quiet that once reigned in the home is suddenly disrupted by the baby’s laughter and cries; new furniture, toys and accessories are suddenly strewn everywhere in the house; mealtimes now include milk and cereal; and just about everything will begin to revolve around the new family member.

As a member of your family, your baby will be part of everything you do—from grocery visits to holiday vacations—and will influence every facet of your life, including your career, business, and even your choice of home and car. Expectedly, there will be both big expenses such as tuition fees, child care, and health care costs, as well as many small ones like purchases of toys, entertainment, clothes, and gifts, to name a few.

Needless to say, a baby’s arrival has lifelong financial implications that parents should prepare for, starting from childbirth all the way to adulthood. If you are planning to have a baby soon, or have recently had a new one, expect to make adjustments to your lifestyle and finances.

Here are some areas you need to look at closely to make sure no surprises for your budget:

Your date with the stork.

Your first major expense will be the cost of childbirth. Find out how much your chosen obstetrician will charge in professional fees so that you can set aside funds for this. Many hospitals offer a package that includes the doctors’ fees, hospitalization charges, regular check-ups, and other related fees. Compare and choose from among your options to come up with something that works best for you. If you have medical insurance, find out if this is covered. Check out and update your Philhealth coverage as well.

Time off to nurture.
When the mother gives birth, she will have to take a break from work. Philippine law provides for 60 calendar days off for a normal pregnancy and 75 calendar days off for birth by caesarian section. For some working mothers, this disruption might mean less or no income, so take this into consideration when planning your cash flow.

If you are working, check out your benefits and fill up forms that you might have to attend to in advance. Some companies give paid maternity leaves, and SSS also gives a maternity benefit. Fathers, on the other hand, are entitled to a paternity leave under the law. If you are employed, be aware that realistically, you will probably be taking some days off from work every so often to attend to unforeseen needs of the baby, which will be heaviest in the first 2 years of life.

If you used to make a good sum from doing overtime work, also expect that realistically, you may not be able to render as many hours in overtime work while your baby is very young.

Cost of Child care.

When the baby is born and when he is still young, you will need to make arrangements for his full-time care. Some mothers leave the work force to become a full-time stay-at-home mom, either permanently or for a short period. Alternatively, many working mothers employ the services of a full-time nanny (yaya). Others ask relatives to care for their children, while others leave their children at a day care center.

Work out an arrangement that is most suited for your circumstances. Whichever alternative you choose, expect child care costs to account for a major portion of your baby-related expenses.

Health is wealth (and expensive).

A new baby means many visits to the pediatricians. If you are lucky, these visits will just be for the administration of routine vaccinations. However, most children go through many illnesses in early childhood–respiratory tract infections, viral illness, diarrhea—that will require you to make a quick trip to the doctor. If you are employed and have health insurance or coverage from a health maintenance organization (HMO), find out if your baby may also be covered. Learn about the procedures to avail of these services.

Protect your future.

Now that you have a baby, you will have to think of ways to manage life’s uncertainties, like how to provide for your family’s needs in the unfortunate event that you pass away early or get disabled. This may be an opportune time to consider taking out a life insurance policy which is always cheaper to purchase when you are younger.

Invest in education (yes, this early!).

It is never too early to prepare for your baby’s education. At around 4, he will begin to attend preschool, and will continue to be in school for the next 15 years or so. Needless to say, the cost of education will account for a substantial part of the family’s budget, so it is something that you should begin to anticipate and plan for as early as you can.

Since the arrival of the baby heralds major changes in your life, it may be time to think about your life plans. Think of your life goals, the timetable with which you want to achieve these, and set up a financial plan to make this possible, taking into consideration the needs and wants of your now expanded family.

In the meantime, enjoy your bundle your joy!

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Baby dies in airport luggage conveyor belt accident

A five-month-old baby died on a luggage conveyor belt of an airport in Alicante, Spain.

Officials could not confirm how the baby ended up on the conveyor belt. But an airport security personnel said the accident happened when the mother put the baby down briefly on the conveyor belt.

Reports say the baby was inside a baby carrier and the weight activated the conveyor belt, trapping the baby in the rollers in the drop zone.

The accident occurred Thursday midnight on the airport's outsized luggage conveyor belt, where large items of luggage are delivered.

Authorities say the baby's mother was travelling from London with the baby and another small child. - Reuters

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

4 Financial Steps to Take as You Prepare for a Baby

So, you’ve decided you want to have a baby.  For sure, this is an exciting and overwhelming decision.  There’s nothing more exciting than seeing your new baby for the first time.  However, before you get ahead of yourself, taking care of some financial matters before you even conceive can make the entire pregnancy and the months after go much more smoothly.


Consider these issues:


1.  Paid leave.

Does your employer offer paid leave?  If so, how long?  Is there anything you can do to bulk up that leave?  For instance, when I was employed as a college teacher, my employer didn’t offer paid leave.  However, each semester you could teach an extra class and “bank” that class.  Instead of getting paid upfront, I put that class aside, so to speak.  I didn’t have enough classes put aside for leave when I had my son, but when I had my daughter, I had already taught 4 classes that I was not paid for, so I “unbanked” those classes and got a paid semester leave in return.  This required a lot of advanced planning but was well worth it.


Also consider whether or not your spouse will get paid leave.

2.  Insurance. 


Some employers are wonderful about walking you through the process of adding your new child to your insurance policy.  Others may leave you in the dark, with terrible consequences.  Even though I had talked to my human resources department several times, no one told me that I had to “register” my newborn for insurance within 30 days of birth.  I found this out on my baby’s 32nd day of life, and my employer refused to insure him.  I had to wait for the open enrollment period 9 long months later to finally get him on my insurance.

3.  Day care. 


Will you or your spouse stay home to care for the baby?  If not, what will you do for day care?  Keep in mind that some urban areas have day cares wait lists of longer than a year.  In these areas, signing up to get on the wait list as soon as you confirm that you’re pregnant is not too soon.


If you don’t get off the wait list on time, what are your other options?

4.  Budget. 


Take a good look at your budget before you conceive.  I believe the reports that say that it takes over $200k to raise a child to age 18 are overblown, but still, there are a lot of expenses with a newborn.  If you decide not to nurse or can’t, formula alone is very expensive.  Add in diapers and day care, clothes and baby equipment, and you can drop quite a bit in the first year.  Your budget doesn’t have to be perfect, but you should have some extra money available to cover these expenses.



If you want to revel in the joy of your newborn baby, take these steps before you conceive.  Then, when the baby comes, you won’t need to worry about finances or insurance.


What other financial considerations would you add?

source: everythingfinanceblog.com

Kate Middleton goes into labor

Prince William's wife Kate was admitted to hospital on Monday in the early stages of labour as the world awaited the birth of a baby directly in line to inherit the British throne.

After weeks of global anticipation over the arrival of a new generation of British royalty, the royal couple, both 31, were driven from Kensington Palace to a private London hospital wing at around 6 a.m.

Dozens of international media waited outside the Lindo wing of St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington on a hot summer's day while royal fans waving Union Jacks were also starting to gather.

The baby will be born third in line to the throne and in the direct line of succession after Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son and heir Prince Charles, and then his eldest son William.

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge has been admitted this morning to St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London in the early stages of labor," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

"Things are progressing as normal," a spokesman added.

The couple say they do not know the sex of the baby.

If it is a girl, then new succession laws being brought in across the 16 Commonwealth realms would mean that she could no longer be overtaken by any future younger brothers.

The birth is later than widely expected, adding to the sense of anticipation around a saga that began when William and the former Kate Middleton married with a huge fanfare in April 2011.

The pregnancy was announced in December when Kate was admitted to hospital with severe morning sickness.

Her early morning arrival at the hospital on Monday coincided with thunder and lightning as a huge storm over London brought the first rain for weeks after a major heatwave in Britain.

Kate has been admitted to the private Lindo Wing of the hospital, where a standard room and normal delivery -- which she is hoping for -- costs £4,965 ($7,775) for the first 24 hours, plus consultant's fees which can reach around £6,000.

The duchess is being tended by a top medical team led by the queen's gynecologist Alan Farthing and his predecessor Marcus Setchell.

William was born in the same hospital wing and media from across the globe are hoping for a repeat of the scene in 1982 when Charles and first wife Diana brought the baby prince out onto the steps to show him off to the world.

International press have been crammed cheek by jowl on the opposite side of the street for three weeks. Roughly 100 media were buzzing about Monday, with around 30 presenters lined up in a row delivering live broadcasts.

Yang Shanshan, from China's CCTV, told AFP: "We've been waiting for this for 10 days now. It was a long wait. We didn't show up every day but now of course we'll stay here till the baby comes.

"Hopefully the baby arrives at daytime."

Meanwhile, around 20 police officers were also stationed outside the wing and royal fanatics clad in British flags were beside themselves with excitement.

Prime Minister David Cameron sent his best wishes to the couple. "A very exciting occasion and the whole country is excited with them. So everyone's hoping for the best," he said.

The new arrival will be the monarch's third great-grandchild, and a first grandchild for Charles.

Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth said the royal family were unlikely to visit once the new addition arrives. Charles was pressing on with a visit to the National Railway Museum in York, northern England.

"The family will be waiting like any other family for news of the baby," Arbiter said. "The queen will be the first to be informed because William will telephone her as soon as something happens."

According to the palace, the next statement will be issued when the baby is born.

The duchess made her final public appearance before giving birth on June 15, attending the queen's official birthday celebrations.

William and Kate live in a cottage at Kensington Palace when in London. In the last four weeks, the duchess has been splitting her time between there and her family's home in the Berkshire countryside, west of London.

Otherwise they are based on the rural island of Anglesey in northwest Wales, where William works as a Royal Air Force search and rescue pilot.

There has been a betting frenzy on the name of the royal baby.

"There is a clear view that the baby will be a girl so there are lots of activity around girls' names," a spokeswoman for William Hill told AFP. "Alexandra and Charlotte are the most popular."

Other favored names are Diana, Elizabeth and Victoria, with George and James picked by those who think the baby will be a boy.

Outside Buckingham Palace, the queen's residence, Josh Killoren from Melbourne, Australia told AFP: "I'm hoping it's a boy. I'm sick of seeing a girl on the side of our coins."

That earned him a smack from his girlfriend Connie Sourlatzis, 30, who was a lot more enthusiastic.

"These two have really brought some life back into the royal family. I'm a lot more interested in them now than I used to be," she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Britain's royal baby: 10 strange facts

LONDON - There's still no sign of Britain's royal baby, even though the world's media have been camped for three weeks outside the London hospital where Prince William's wife Catherine is due to give birth.

As the "Great Kate Wait" continues, here are 10 things you might not have known about the little future monarch:



1. Genealogists say the baby will be distantly related to Dracula, the 15th century prince who inspired Bram Stoker's famous vampire. Experts have also traced the family tree back to an Islamic sultan who is believed to be descended from the Prophet Mohammed.

2. Finland has gifted William and Kate with a special 'baby box' received by all expectant mothers in the Nordic country, which includes infant clothing, bra pads and even condoms.

3. By custom, earlier royal births were witnessed by the interior minister, in order to ensure that the heir was legitimate. Luckily for Kate, this tradition ended in 1936.

4. The baby does not necessarily need to have a surname -- but if William and Kate want it to have one, they can choose between Mountbatten-Windsor, Wales and Cambridge.

5. World landmarks including Niagara Falls, Toronto's CN Tower and the fountains at London's Trafalgar Square will turn pink or blue to celebrate the birth, depending on whether it is a girl or boy.

6. The journalists camped outside Kate's hospital are almost crying with boredom after a three-week wait, but it was a different story when William was born in 1982.

His mother Princess Diana fooled the press by telling them her son was due on July 1 -- he arrived 10 days earlier, catching the newspapers completely offguard.

7. You can place your bets on everything from the baby's name to what its hair color will be. The bookmakers' favorite names are Alexandra for a girl and George for a boy.

But you could win big if William and Kate opt for one of the unlikelier choices -- Prince Wayne, for example, has odds of 500/1.

8. The baby already has its own Wikipedia page -- "Child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge."

9. Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard has knitted a kangaroo for the baby.

10. Football superstar David Beckham has suggested that the royal couple should name their baby after him. "I think they should go for David," he said in an interview this week, adding: "If it's a boy."



source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

It's a girl for Patrick Garcia, girlfriend

Actor Patrick Garcia is now a father again after his non-showbiz girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl.

Garcia confirmed the new in an interview with ABS-CBNnews.com on Monday. "Nanganak na, kaya sa bahay lang ako," he said.

However, Garcia refused to give more details about the baby but revealed that they nicknamed his daughter Chelsea.

"Masayang-masaya, thankful. Bagong inspirasyon sa buhay. Nakaka-excite kasi mayroon na namang baby sa buhay," he said.

Garcia also has a son, Alex Jazz, with actress Jennylyn Garcia.

Now that he has two kids, the actor said he is more inspired to do better.

"Oo naman, palagi naman. Pati ang anak kong si Jazz inspirasyon din sa akin at bagong baby ko ngayon inspirasyon," he said.

"Mahal ko silang pareho at whatever time I could make with them ibibigay ko, kung anong spare time ako mayroon siguradong ibibigay ko," he promised.

It was only in January when Garcia admitted that he is going to be a father again as he denied that his partner's pregnancy was the reason behind his rift with Mercado.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Shakira, Gerard Pique Launch Charity Baby Shower with Unicef

Shakira, whose first child is due this week, and her boyfriend -- FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Piqué -- have joined UNICEF to host a virtual baby shower to benefit underprivileged babies.



The virtual shower invites both Shakira and Piqué fans to visit a virtual room where they can learn about infant survival and purchase an "inspirational gift" to help babies around the World. These "gifts" are actually real products that can save lives and will be distributed to the neediest children and communities via UNICEF Networks. Gift prices range from $5 for a mosquito net and $10 for a polio vaccine for 17 children to $37 for an infant scale. The most expensive gift, at $110, buys special food for malnourished children.

"Every couple that's expecting a baby shares our same dreams and hopes for their children," Shakira, who is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, said. "However, many don't have the same opportunities we do to give them a happy childhood free of preventable and easily cured illnesses. Together we can change that."

Shakira and Piqué's virtual baby shower can be accessed at http://uni.cf/baby.

source:  billboard.com