The doc replies

Help settle an argument – do women have more ribs than men?

Men and women both have 12 pairs of ribs. It is a common myth that women have one pair less, possibly originating from the Bible.

My wife drinks a lot of diet juices which contain saccharine. Is it safe to take? Saccharine has been found to be harmful in some studies on animals. However, there is little evidence, due to a lack of studies, on how it affects humans. Bear in mind that saccharine has no food energy or nutritional value. There are suggested limits to what amount of saccharine people should take in their diet at any one time and in any day. Remember that diets should be a mixture of balanced eating and an increase in exercise. Our four-year-old has an old teddy bear she can’t bear to part with. I’m worried about her starting school. How can we coax it from her?

I wouldn’t worry about a four-year-old still wanting the comfort of her teddy bear. She is unlikely to be teased about this as she starts school even if she does want to take teddy in for the first few days. As she settles, teddy will be happy to stay at home in bed. My son is eight but constantly pulls out his hair. It seems to be a nervous thing. Should I ask the GP to take a look?

Some people do develop the habit of pulling hair particularly when they are stressed or nervous. I would speak to his school and see if they have any concerns. If he has a lot of anxiety and this is affecting him in other ways, you can make an appointment to speak to your GP.