Suddenly, in the past few days, there have been TWO major, AOL featured, scare stories on the health risks faced by prevature babies. As if there were ever any doubt that premature birth is not a good thing. Today's AP/AOL story is especially egregious--connecting the "hot" topic of autims with premature birth by reporting on a "study" finding that some 25% of very premature babies have been found, as toddlers, to be identified as "at risk" by an EARLY screening tes for risk of autism. The actual story notes that a "positive" on this test is NOT a diagnosis of autsm, but merely an indication for later, more definitive, tests to be done.
What is this sudden spate of stories about the risks of premature birth all about? Are they meant to DEPRESS parents of premature babies? What are we supposed to do about it? Kill (or let die) premature babies? You might think I am paranoid, but the hysterical tone of these stories, and the way they are being played up by the despicable Associated Press, mkae it likely that there is some kind of agenda here--certainly,, at least the kind of "doom and gloom" agenda ("woe is us") the media has fallen into, but maybe even more than that.
And don't even get me started on "autism". So help me, autism has become a "fad" diagnosis. I am sure autrism is a real problem, but the diagnosis has been expaned to the point that it seems to cover almost everyone. Note (did I not refer to the hysterical tone of this story) that these babies were NOT ever diagnosed with autism. This story is SCARE SPECULATION based on one of those screening tests designed merely to identify children to monitor more closedly for a possible later appearance of autism.
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