Health Tips ... from UPI

PLANNED BABIES, HEALTHIER BABIES

A nationwide survey shows women who plan their pregnancies take better care of their bodies and unborn babies than those who do not. In the study of women between 18 and 44, released by pregnancy test maker First Response and the March of Dimes, one in five of the women who conceived without trying said they made no medical or lifestyle changes during pregnancy, such as visiting a doctor regularly or taking prenatal vitamins, compared to one in 100 of those who got pregnant deliberately. Also, 58 percent of the pregnancy planners cut down on alcohol and 65 percent on caffeine, compared to 48 percent and 40 percent, respectively, of those who conceived accidentally. Overall, most women said they made healthy choices during their pregnancy, says Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, professor of obstetrics at Yale University School of Medicine. To increase the odds of delivering a healthy, full-term baby, she advises having prenatal care, especially during the first trimester, cutting back or eliminating alcohol, taking prenatal vitamins, reducing the use of caffeine, and stopping smoking.

DRUG-FREE OPTION FOR ALLERGIES

Acupuncture and Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Treatment may offer a drug-free option for easing allergies, scientists say. NAET allows the body to rid itself of its allergic response, say researchers from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. NAET treatments integrate aspects of chiropractic, kinesiology and acupuncture techniques with the aim of strengthening the immune system, they say. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases says allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States, affecting some 50 million men and women.

TREATMENT MAY EASE CHEMOTHERAPY SIDE EFFECTS

A study suggests a regimen including Emend may help prevent chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in breast cancer patients. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed more breast cancer patients treated with Emend in combination with a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and a corticosteroid reported a complete response in the five days following chemotherapy, compared to those on a standard regimen of 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and a corticosteroid. Complete response is defined as no vomiting and no use of other therapies for nausea or vomiting, says study leader Dr. Kelly Pendergrass, clinical oncologist at Kansas City Cancer Center.

GARLIC EXTRACT MAY CUT CANCER RISK

A study of 3,000 volunteers indicates aged garlic extract may help reduce risk of cancer. The study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute and a team of Chinese researchers, shows people with the highest intake of allium-containing vegetables, like aged garlic, had only 40 percent of the risk of gastric cancers as those who rarely ate them. In addition, preliminary results indicate 76 percent of patients using the garlic extract in combination with antibiotics to treat precancerous stomach lesions caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria showed improvement, says Dr. Mitchell Gail of NCI. He says the team is sifting through the data and expects to issue a full report by the end of the year.

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(Editors: For more information about PREGNANCY, contact Chris Seger at 212-299-8973 or chris.seger@zenogroup.com. For ALLERGY, Lauri Howell at 800-729-0941. For CHEMOTHERAPY, Shauna Wreschner at 212-880-5349 or Shauna.Wreschner@ogilvypr.com. For GARLIC, Sarah Clark at 612-798-7260 or sclark@mediarelations.com.)