Teething gels that contain the anaesthetic lidocaine will be banned from supermarkets and high street shops from 2019. Only pharmacies will be allowed to sell the gels which carry a small risk of harm to children. The medicines regulator also suggests there is little evidence they work. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that teething gels should only be used with guidance from a healthcare professional, like a GP or pharmacist. A review showed that there was a lack of evidence that the gels were beneficial. Parents are advised to try a teething ring or massage their child's gums with a clean finger first and seek advice if their baby is still in pain. The MHRA also suggests that if babies are in discomfort that it may be appropriate to give them paracetamol or ibuprofen suspensions. Adult products containing lidocaine will remain on sale in all shops, the agency says. It cautions that these products should not be used on babies or children. Dr … [Read more...] about Teething gels will be banned from supermarkets under new rules
Science
Great Apes smarter than we thought as science proves orangutans ‘talk about the PAST’
THE EVOLUTION of language converted a defenceless naked ape into a world-dominating force. It fundamentally transformed how humans transmit information and knowledge. A large and potent component of language is our ability to communicate about things that are not here, that happened in the past, or that will happen in the future. This feature of language is known as "displaced reference". Displaced reference is universal across the world’s languages and pervades our daily lives. In fact, to speak about the present moment has become a rarity nowadays, though noticeable exceptions are when we comment about the weather, ask for the salt over the dinner table, or talk with very young children. Displaced reference unshackles speakers from the present. The magnitude of information that becomes available to individuals (or species) capable of displaced reference is therefore immeasurably greater than individuals (or species) strictly living in “the here and the now” – … [Read more...] about Great Apes smarter than we thought as science proves orangutans ‘talk about the PAST’
The Mighty Girl effect: why fathering a daughter protects men against sexism
Fathering a girl protects men against sexism, the London School of Economics has found. Men with daughters are significantly less likely to believe in traditional gender roles, such as they should go out to work, while women should stay at home looking after the children. And the phenomenon, dubbed ‘The Mighty Girl Effect,’ was found to grow over time. While fathers of daughters at primary school were eight per cent less likely to believe that men should be the breadwinner, by the time they reached secondary school it had grown to 11 per cent. The researchers speculated that through parenting, fathers of daughters may develop a better understanding of women’s and girls’ disadvantages in society,... Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account Register Log in … [Read more...] about The Mighty Girl effect: why fathering a daughter protects men against sexism
First Dutch bananas could help tackle worldwide fungal threat
A Dutch university has grown the Netherlands’ first crop of bananas as part of a research programme that could help protect the fruit from a deadly fungus that threatens production worldwide. Wageningen University grew 60 banana plants in its greenhouses on coco peat and rock wool, avoiding the threat of a soil-borne fungal disease that could destroy hundreds of thousands of hectares of banana plants around the world, local media reported. The crop will be offered to local hospitals and restaurants. Gert Kema, a professor of tropical plant pathology, said the success would lead to further research into combating Fusarium wilt. “It threatens banana production throughout the world,” Kema said. “So we took the banana out of the soil. The plants grow very well, with only the application of a nutrient.” The Fusarium fungus contaminates soil for decades and cannot be suppressed, and is threatening banana production throughout south-east Asia. “The Dutch … [Read more...] about First Dutch bananas could help tackle worldwide fungal threat
NASA’s Juno captures stunning footage as it dives over Jupiter’s cloud tops
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has captured an incredible video of Jupiter's cloud tops, during a recent flyby of the planet. The spacecraft is currently in a highly-elliptical 53-day orbit around Jupiter. Each orbit includes a close passage over Jupiter cloud deck, where it flies between the planet’s north and south poles. On December 21, Juno will make its 16th flyby of the planet, at which point it will be 3,140 miles above the cloud tops. Jack Connerney, Juno’s deputy principal investigator, said: “With our 16th science flyby, we will have complete global coverage of Jupiter, albeit at coarse resolution, with polar passes separated by 22.5 degrees of longitude. “Over the second half of our prime mission - science flybys 17 through 32 - we will split the difference, flying exactly halfway between each previous orbit. “This will provide coverage of the planet every 11.25 degrees of longitude, providing a more detailed picture of what makes the whole of … [Read more...] about NASA’s Juno captures stunning footage as it dives over Jupiter’s cloud tops