Man\'s genes \'key to baby\'s sex\'
A man's genetic make-up may play a role in whether he has sons or daughters, a study of hundreds of years of family trees suggests.
Unicef child study disputed by UK
The UK government has complained about a study saying early years childcare and education in England is falling behind that of other developed nations.
Pop tunes used to calm babies
Rocking a baby to sleep has been given a whole new meaning as mothers ditch traditional lullabies for popular pop and rock tunes.
Caesarean increases asthma risk
Babies born by Caesarean section are more prone to developing asthma, say Dutch researchers.
Left-handers\\\' lower test scores
Left-handed pupils do less well in tests than their right-handed peers, a study from Bristol University suggests.
Obesity \'programmed before birth\'
Eating a high-fat diet in pregnancy may cause changes in the foetal brain that lead to over-eating and obesity early in life, research suggests.

MPs attempt to force smacking ban

A cross-party group of MPs is attempting to force through a ban on smacking children in England and Wales.

Led by Labour's Kevin Barron, the campaigners oppose the current situation allowing parents to use the practice as a "reasonable punishment".

Some 28 MPs have signed an amendment to the Children and Young Persons Bill being debated later.

Meanwhile, more than 100 Labour backbenchers are said to be demanding a free vote on a total smacking ban.