There've been mixed reactions to the recent news of the Duchess of Cambridge's pregnancy - particularly since she was hospitalised yesterday for "acute morning sickness".

For those women who have endured the first few months of pregnancy, "acute" is no doubt exactly how they'd describe the constant feeling of nausea, but some women's bodies react far more violently during those first months and when that happens, it's called Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

The condition affects only about one in 300 and results in about five percent loss of body weight, along with dehydration, malnutrition, faintness and sometimes even renal and liver damage.

It's not a pretty situation and most women who suffer this extreme form of morning sickness are hospitalised during their pregnancy to be placed on an IV drip.

Treatment is generally quite light as doctors are cautious to administer drugs that might harm the mother's growing foetus, so, generally women are treated for symptoms. Interestingly, Vitamin B6 has been shown to help improve symptoms, and sometimes a simple antihistamine is used, but using medication is a decision that both doctor and mother don't make lightly.

A 2004 study conducted by scientists at the University of Washington found that women who were hospitalized with Hyperemesis were 50 percent more likely to have girls.

I wonder whether Will and Kate know that?