Health Headlines Monday

AUTISM COURT CASE:

TWO TEN-YEAR-OLD BOYS WITH AUTISM WILL FOREVER HOLD A PLACE IN HISTORY.

THEY NOW REPRESENT THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS SAY CHILDHOOD VACCINES CAUSED THEM TO BECOME AUTISTIC.

IN THE CASE BEING HEARD IN FEDERAL COURT IN WASHINGTON... ATTORNEYS SAY THE BOYS WERE DEVELOPING NORMALLY UNTIL THEY STARTED TO GET THEIR VACCINATIONS...WHICH CONTAINED THE MERCURY-BASED PRESERVATIVE... THIMEROSAL.

THEY CONTEND THE SHOTS CAUSED THE BOYS TO BECOME AUTISTIC.

ALMOST 49-HUNDRED FAMILIES HAVE FILED CLAIMS ALLEGING THAT THE SHOTS CAUSED AUTISM OR OTHER NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THEIR CHILDREN.

SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE FAILED TO FIND A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE VACCINES AND AUTISM.




GIRLS FAINT FROM HPV SHOTS:

THE C-D-C REPORTS A LARGE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE "FAINTING" AFTER GETTING SHOTS -- LIKE THE H-P-V VACCINATION.

IN FINDINGS GATHERED FROM 2005 TO 2007... THE C-D-C FOUND AT LEAST 463 PEOPLE FAINTED AFTER GETTING VACCINATED.

WHILE THE FAINTING ITSELF ISN'T DANGEROUS -- THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF PATIENTS FALLING DOWN AND HITTING THEIR HEADS.

DOCTORS SAY TO AVOID BLACKOUTS.... IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PATIENTS TO SIT AND WAIT FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES AFTER GETTING A SHOT.



TEXT MESSAGING TEENS TO TAKE MEDICINE:

AS THE SAYING GOES...IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM...JOIN 'EM.

A PILOT PROGRAM IN CINCINNATI IS TESTING WHETHER TEXTING KIDS TO TAKE THEIR MEDICINE DURING THE DAY...WILL GET THEM TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR HEALTH.

THE PROBLEM IS ... ROUGHLY HALF OF TEENS WITH CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS... DON'T TAKE THEIR MEDICATIONS WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.

THE BIGGEST REASON... THEY FORGOT.

DOCTORS HOPE THAT USING TEXT MESSAGING... SOMETHING TEENS THINK IS COOL...WILL HELP THEM REMEMBER TAKING CARE OF THEIR HEALTH...IS ALSO COOL.



MIRACLE FOR MARY FUNDRAISER:

A WEEKEND FUNDRAISER IN HONOR OF A CLARKSVILLE TODDLER EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS.

WE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT MARY NELSON LAST MONTH.

AS A INFANT... HER PARENTS WERE TOLD SHE HAD SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY...A GENETIC DISORDER AND DISEASE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CURE.

SO WITH THE HELP OF HER FATHER'S ARMY UNIT... A "MIRACLE FOR MARY" WALK, RUN AND BIKE RIDE WAS ORGANIZED TO RAISE MONEY FOR MARY'S CARE.

THAT WEEKEND RIDE... RAISED 29-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

THE MONEY WILL BE SPLIT BETWEEN THE "MIRACLE FOR MARY" AND "THE FAMILIES OF S-M-A" RESEARCH FUNDS.