CHECKUP : NEWS, TIPS AND TRENDS MORE MISSHAPEN HEADS WHEN BABIES SLEEP SUPINE.

The campaign to put babies to sleep on their backs may be spawning an increase in misshapen heads among infants, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis suggest.

The Back to Sleep campaign sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1992 has helped in reducing by nearly one-third the number of babies who die unexpectedly while sleeping, said Dr. Jeffrey Marsh of the Washington University faculty, but there may be a price.

Marsh's study found that referrals for misshapen heads among infants at one St. Louis hospital after the Back to Sleep campaign started were up sixfold on average.

Marsh said parents should adjust a baby's head when putting them on their backs to sleep, putting the face to the left one time and the right the next to avoid creating a flat spot in their soft skulls.

Want fries with that?: Bacteria that normally live in the human intestinal tract appear to be able to order the kinds of foods they want from the cells lining the intestine, a Washington University study has found.

More than 400 species of bacteria live in the intestine, making vitamins and performing other jobs for their human hosts. They also play a role in keeping out disease-causing bacteria. As their reward they get to send a chemical message to intestinal cells telling them to make their favorite food. The first of these to be studied ordered cells to make fucose, a sugar.

``These results provide insights about how we adapt to a microbial world and how microbes, in turn, may create a niche for themselves within a very complicated, dynamic and open ecological system,'' Dr. Jeffrey I. Gordon reported in the journal Science.

Coping with cancer: One of the most common, debilitating and overlooked side effects of cancer and its treatment is severe fatigue, according to the Fatigue Coalition, a newly formed group of medical experts dedicated to promoting awareness of and relief from cancer fatigue.

``Cancer is a devastating disease, and the strong chemotherapy and radiation used to treat it can sap patients of energy, both physiologically and emotionally,'' according to group member David Cella, professor of psychology and director of psychosocial oncology at Rush Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago.

Affecting close to 90 percent of people with cancer, fatigue can be at least partially alleviated with good eating habits and lifestyle modifications, according to the group.

Cancer patients should be sure to let their doctors know if they feel sapped of strength, the group advises. And they should keep a journal of when they feel tired and plan activities around the time when their energy is highest, the group says.

Other suggestions that may help improve the quality of life of cancer patients living with fatigue include: Allowing time to rest between activities; taking short walks and engaging in light exercise; eating small meals and snacks throughout the day as opposed to a few large and heavy meals; and joining a local cancer support group.

Car-care poison alert: Parents beware. One toddler nearly died and another was rushed to the emergency room after coming in contact with a very small amount of a widely available car-wheel cleaner, according to a report in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

The incidents involved Armor All Quicksilver wheel cleaner. One child, believed to have been sprayed with the cleaner, has some long-term motor and speech delays. The other child recovered completely. The Quicksilver label does not have child-resistance packing, but it does warn to keep out of ``the reach of children.''

Prostate treatment?:Diptheria toxin, which can cause serious respiratory illness, is being tested as a treatment for prostate disease, a researcher reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons.

The toxin binds to a chemical substance called heparin-binding epidermal growth factor often found in the human prostate, Dr. Martin Kaefer of Harvard said. In tests with animals, researchers found treatment with the toxin markedly reduced cancer cell spread. ``The cancer cells that had the growth factor were almost completely ablated by the diphtheria toxin,'' he said.

Much more testing must be done, however, before the treatment can be tried in humans, Kaefer cautioned.

The gateway drink: ``Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker'' holds true for youngsters as well as adults.

A 16-year study of 953 New Zealand children found that those who misused alcohol were six to 23 times more likely to engage in sex, have multiple partners and have unprotected intercourse than youngsters who did not misuse alcohol.

An analysis of the study found that alcohol worked in combination with a number of other factors, such as peer pressure and risk seeking, to encourage early sexual experimentation, David M. Fergusson, of the Christchurch School of Medicine, reported in the journal Pediatrics.