In Brief: Jun. 26, 2000

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DREAMING OF BABY When it comes to predicting the gender of an unborn baby, mothers just might know best. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University interviewed 104 pregnant women who had chosen not to learn their babies' gender through prenatal testing. The mothers-to-be were asked to foretell whether they were carrying a girl or boy and to describe whether their guess was based on folklore, the way they were carrying the baby, a dream or just a feeling. Of the women who based their forecast on a feeling or dream, 71% were correct, and all the women who cited a dream were right. Researchers concluded that there is much about the maternal-fetal connection to be explored.

FIGHTING LICE Recent lice outbreaks have left parents scratching their heads along with their kids--trying to figure out how to get rid of the tiny bloodsuckers. Overuse of over-the-counter treatments has led to new pesticide-resistant strains of the bugs. Experts now say the best way to combat the nearly 10 million cases a year is hand combing. The LiceMeister comb enables parents to remove head lice and nits manually, and a new shampoo just invented at Yale promises to make nits glow under ultraviolet light, making them easier to spot.

--By Lisa McLaughlin