* Two deaths and brain damage have occurred following tests of growth hormone levels in children using the insulin tolerance tests. The British Medical Journal, 1 February 1992).

* We all know that breastfeeding aids intelligence, but instead of a "smart hormone" actually in the milk the cause is now thought to be the action of suckling, according to an Australian study. The Lancet, 30 March 1992.

* Researchers at Oxford surveyed GPs, hospital doctors and midwives to find out their reasons for monitoring weight during pregnancy, and found little consensus as to why, what should be considered "abnormal" or what to do about it. British Medical Journal 22 February 1992.

* Eating your greens could protect you from cancer. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cress and other vegetables of the cruciferae family all contain a chemical called sulforaphane, which apparently has anti cancer properties.