A trial in adult patients (N Engl J Med 2010;362:197–205; see also Editorial, ibid: 264–5) has shown that the administration of antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxins A and B may prevent recurrences of C difficile infection. A total of 200 patients with C difficile-associated diarrhoea were randomised at 30 centres in the USA and Canada to a single infusion of antibodies against the A and B toxins or placebo. The rate of recurrence over the next 12 weeks was reduced from 25% to 7% by the treatment. Among patients who had had more than one previous episode the recurrence rates were 7% (treatment) versus 38% (placebo) and among patients infected with the epidemic strain (BI/NAP1/027) 8% versus 32%. Serious adverse events occurred in 18% versus 28%.

Maternal hyperglycaemia has long been associated with big babies. Now a study in Hungary (Diabetes Care 2009;32:2200–5) has shown that women with a relatively low fasting blood glucose concentration in pregnancy may also have large-for-gestational-age (LGA) babies (birth weight >90th percentile for gestation). A total of 3787 mothers without known diabetes or gestational diabetes had a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at 22–30 weeks gestation. The mean …