It has often been observed that if homeopathy is true, then physics, chemistry and biology are false.

So it perhaps should have been global news when the European Journal of Pediatrics published a paper suggesting homeopathic treatments for acute illness in children showed better outcomes in the first 24 months of life.

The study, which purported to be a randomised controlled trial, tracked 108 Indian newborns.

Half the group received homeopathic primary care for acute illness, with the other half undergoing conventional medical treatment alone.