Why Stop Jenny McCarthy?
She talks trash about autism
She talks trash about immunizations
She talks about trash treatments
Stop the trash talk Jenny McCarthy!
She talks trash about autism
She talks trash about immunizations
She talks about trash treatments
Stop the trash talk Jenny McCarthy!
Jenny McCarthy's Assertions:
Vaccines injured her son
Her child recovered from autism
Vaccines contain viruses, and that is somehow a bad thing
Why Jenny McCarthy Is Wrong:
1. The main reason
2. Jenny McCarthy denies that there are adults with ASD
3. Jenny McCarthy denies that most medical doctors address nutrion and immune system issues
4. Jenny McCarthy does not consider genetic research or the natural progression of ASD
5. Other recent research
6. Questions for Jenny McCarthy if her mission in life is to "spread the word"
Vaccines injured her son
Her child recovered from autism
Vaccines contain viruses, and that is somehow a bad thing
Why Jenny McCarthy Is Wrong:
1. The main reason
2. Jenny McCarthy denies that there are adults with ASD
3. Jenny McCarthy denies that most medical doctors address nutrion and immune system issues
4. Jenny McCarthy does not consider genetic research or the natural progression of ASD
5. Other recent research
6. Questions for Jenny McCarthy if her mission in life is to "spread the word"
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www.stopjenny.com
Why Jenny Is Wrong
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1. The Main Reason Why Jenny McCarthy Is Wrong:
The main reason is that vaccines have been proven over and over again to not be a cause autism, and to have no effect on autism. Properly conducted studies and population studies show no evidence linking vaccines in any way, and prove that the rate of autism does not go down in unvaccinated populations. Autism rates do not decrease when you administer vaccines later in life, or in single dosages. There are many reasons for this, and they also address:
Why Jenny McCarthy's Proposal To Test Childrens' Immune Systems Before Administering Vaccines Is Useless
2. No Adults with ASD:
Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak:
PR.com: You never hear about it, you never see it. Where are the autistic adults?
Jenny McCarthy: It’s cause there weren’t any. It’s all now.
I'm not sure anything much more needs to be said here. Countless hours could be spent on linking to other places that talk about autistic adults, and address autistic adult issues. The simple fact is that there are autistic adults and there always have been autistic adults.
3. Autism, Nutrition, and the Immune System:
It may be that McCarthy no longer talks to specialized medical doctors, other than ones that say other medical doctors totally ignore nutritional issues, but this is simply not true. Researchr1 shows that autistic children are more likely to have allergies to food (14% of autistic children have food allergies versus 3.5% of children without autism). This awareness by medical doctors brings an openness to test for allergies and eliminate foods that cause a particular child's allergy from the diet.
Other research brings attention to the digestive system and the immune system:
“We’re beginning to understand that genetics is really about vulnerability,” says neuroscientist Pat Levitt, director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Levitt and his colleagues recently discovered that a common variant of a gene called MET doubles the risk of autism. The finding was widely regarded as a breakthrough because MET modulates the nervous system, gut, and immune system—just the kind of finding that matches up with the emerging new view of autism.
“Everyone was focusing on genes expressed in the brain,” says Levitt, “but this gene is [also] important for repair of the intestine and immune function. And that’s really intriguing because a subset of autistic children have digestive and immune problems.” Equally interesting is that the gene variant occurs in 47 percent of the population—in other words, it is just one contributing factor, and it probably works in concert with other vulnerability genes. And finally, in a twist that intrigues other researchers, the activity of the gene is affected by what is known as oxidative stress—the kind of damage one sees with excessive exposure to toxins.
What this means is that the genes that cause autistic brain development also affect the development of other areas of the body. This different development mimics what is seen when a person has "excessive exposure to toxins". Therefore, treatments designed to treat "exposures to toxins" won't help because toxins are not the initial cause. Children identified to have intestinal and immune dysfunctions due to the genetic factors that also caused austic brain development can find individual treatments that will help them. Concluding that all children diagnosed with autism also have digestive and immune disorders is not true, but these studies are showing that some children will benefit from interventions once they have been diagnosed properly.
This website is not designed to address individual treatments, nor is the purpose to suggest treatment for individuals. There are specialized medical centers and medical doctors that can help instead. The information here can only help people to steer away from treatments that clearly won't help, and outline the reasons why.
4. Jenny McCarthy Does Not Consider Genetic Research
Syndromes like Autism, Fragile X and Tourette Syndrome are described as "X-linked". This x-link also explains why four times more boys get the syndromes than girls. Girls will only show signs if they get the genes on both of their x chromosomes. Boys only get one x chromosome, and one y chromosome, and not having the other x chromosome to offset the one that carries the genes for these syndromes will mean that they will be affected.
Children with autism develop bigger brains by the time they are two years old, brains that also do not change the same way as other children's do at that vital stage. They understandably regress. Genes have been discovered that cause this different development. After the regression the children grow and change, showing strides and improvements as they get older. Parents may adopt different strategies, but the vast majority see their children's strengths become stronger. This is not considered "recovering", but a natural part of the development of the children depending on the severity of an individual child's case.
"When I talk to autistic adults, I realize that the progress continues on into adulthood. It's not like growth and maturation stops at age 20, 30, or 40..."
" What’s notable about them is that their progress can be attributed simply to time and the maturation process "
Severity of the Issue
Targeting vaccines as the cause of autism "injury" only wastes time and money better spent on research directed at the main issues.
Parents led to believe that vaccines are the cause will not opt for vaccinating any of their children. Diseases are not harmless. Measles can cause brain swelling that will lead to brain damage. All vaccine preventable diseases can lead to deaths. Tetanus kills one in every ten people that contract it. These are not myths, but well-known facts.
What Else Jenny McCarthy Is Saying, And Why It Is Wrong
Ms. McCarthy says vaccines are one of the "things" that injured her son. That they are one of those "things" that filled up the bucket that has done harm to her child and other children. However autism is not caused by vaccines . Autism is genetic:
In autism, subtle brain abnormalities are present from birth. Infants and toddlers move their bodies differently. From 6 months to 2 years, their heads grow much too fast. Parts of their brain have too many connections, while other parts are under connected.
Moreover, their brains show signs of chronic inflammation in the same areas that show excessive growth. The inflammation appears to last a lifetime.
In autism, white matter grows normally until 9 months, Dr. Herbert said. Then it goes haywire. By 2 years, excessive white matter is found in the frontal lobes, the cerebellum and association areas, where higher-order processing occurs.
The right side of the brain, the nonverbal hemisphere, is especially encased in white matter. The two sides of the brain are poorly connected. Moreover, small functional regions in each hemisphere tend to be prematurely insulated by excess white matter.
A 5-year-old with autism has the same size brain as a normal 13-year-old.
By looking at videotapes of their early months, before their disorders are diagnosed, he finds that autistic children use unusual strategies for locomotion. It is as if the parts of their brains that control movements are not properly connected.
Ms. McCarthy says that all of the parents in her book believe that vaccines caused their childrens' autism/injury. Can we possibly confirm that all of the parents had the same experience? Considering how autism develops at around the same time with every child, then that could be confirmed. What remains unconfirmed is how the parents arrived at their conclusions. What have been their sources of information? Are their sources factual?
5. Other Recent Research
Why does Ms. McCarthy not seem to conclude that these "theories" are not being tested?
While there is not much for conclusive evidence at the above link, it does outline where research is leading to better breakthroughs to help autistic children reach their full potential.
What theories need to be tested even more?
The second link shows that implicated genes don't just change the brain. Other areas that are affected are being studied as well. These other areas include the immune and digestive system. These areas and the brain are being studied, and new therapies are being tested to make sure they are safe and effective. Parents can be assured they are doing the right thing for their children. Therapists, doctors, and researchers are listening to parents.
Evaluating Information
There is widespread misinformation in the media, on the internet, and in other sources of information. These issues can be addressed on the other pages of this website, and notably on the parent testimonial page. The facts do not change however. Many children are led to believe in Santa Clause, but they figure it out sooner or later because the facts point to parents buying the gifts, and the unlikelihood of one man making and delivering gifts to all of the children in the world. One big misunderstanding does not change the fact that vaccines don't cause autism. One preservative in some vaccines, thiomersal, was removed, but the autism rates did not go down. Thiomersal was never used in the MMR vaccine, as that would have killed the live viruses used in that vaccine. Parents were misinformed by many sources claiming that Thiomersal in MMR vaccines was to blame for causing autism, even though MMR never contained the preservative. There is still no reason brought to light as to why MMR or other vaccines could possibly cause autism. Many parents are finding out that the information they have been given by certain sources is simply not true. Vaccines are an easy target for people wanting to sell autism cures, but the rates of autism are still the same in unvaccinated people.
It is time that journalists and other media personalities make the effort to learn more about the issues and facts about vaccines and autism. Jenny McCarthy's media appearances seem to indicate that she has not made the effort to explore all of the facts, or to find out how vaccines or the immune system works, and has been given far too much air time with not enough questions asked.
After going over Ms. McCarthy's appearances in the media, it seems that journalists and other media personalities don't ask enough questions that they need to in order to get to the facts...
The main reason is that vaccines have been proven over and over again to not be a cause autism, and to have no effect on autism. Properly conducted studies and population studies show no evidence linking vaccines in any way, and prove that the rate of autism does not go down in unvaccinated populations. Autism rates do not decrease when you administer vaccines later in life, or in single dosages. There are many reasons for this, and they also address:
Why Jenny McCarthy's Proposal To Test Childrens' Immune Systems Before Administering Vaccines Is Useless
2. No Adults with ASD:
Straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak:
PR.com: You never hear about it, you never see it. Where are the autistic adults?
Jenny McCarthy: It’s cause there weren’t any. It’s all now.
I'm not sure anything much more needs to be said here. Countless hours could be spent on linking to other places that talk about autistic adults, and address autistic adult issues. The simple fact is that there are autistic adults and there always have been autistic adults.
3. Autism, Nutrition, and the Immune System:
It may be that McCarthy no longer talks to specialized medical doctors, other than ones that say other medical doctors totally ignore nutritional issues, but this is simply not true. Researchr1 shows that autistic children are more likely to have allergies to food (14% of autistic children have food allergies versus 3.5% of children without autism). This awareness by medical doctors brings an openness to test for allergies and eliminate foods that cause a particular child's allergy from the diet.
Other research brings attention to the digestive system and the immune system:
“We’re beginning to understand that genetics is really about vulnerability,” says neuroscientist Pat Levitt, director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Levitt and his colleagues recently discovered that a common variant of a gene called MET doubles the risk of autism. The finding was widely regarded as a breakthrough because MET modulates the nervous system, gut, and immune system—just the kind of finding that matches up with the emerging new view of autism.
“Everyone was focusing on genes expressed in the brain,” says Levitt, “but this gene is [also] important for repair of the intestine and immune function. And that’s really intriguing because a subset of autistic children have digestive and immune problems.” Equally interesting is that the gene variant occurs in 47 percent of the population—in other words, it is just one contributing factor, and it probably works in concert with other vulnerability genes. And finally, in a twist that intrigues other researchers, the activity of the gene is affected by what is known as oxidative stress—the kind of damage one sees with excessive exposure to toxins.
What this means is that the genes that cause autistic brain development also affect the development of other areas of the body. This different development mimics what is seen when a person has "excessive exposure to toxins". Therefore, treatments designed to treat "exposures to toxins" won't help because toxins are not the initial cause. Children identified to have intestinal and immune dysfunctions due to the genetic factors that also caused austic brain development can find individual treatments that will help them. Concluding that all children diagnosed with autism also have digestive and immune disorders is not true, but these studies are showing that some children will benefit from interventions once they have been diagnosed properly.
This website is not designed to address individual treatments, nor is the purpose to suggest treatment for individuals. There are specialized medical centers and medical doctors that can help instead. The information here can only help people to steer away from treatments that clearly won't help, and outline the reasons why.
4. Jenny McCarthy Does Not Consider Genetic Research
Syndromes like Autism, Fragile X and Tourette Syndrome are described as "X-linked". This x-link also explains why four times more boys get the syndromes than girls. Girls will only show signs if they get the genes on both of their x chromosomes. Boys only get one x chromosome, and one y chromosome, and not having the other x chromosome to offset the one that carries the genes for these syndromes will mean that they will be affected.
Children with autism develop bigger brains by the time they are two years old, brains that also do not change the same way as other children's do at that vital stage. They understandably regress. Genes have been discovered that cause this different development. After the regression the children grow and change, showing strides and improvements as they get older. Parents may adopt different strategies, but the vast majority see their children's strengths become stronger. This is not considered "recovering", but a natural part of the development of the children depending on the severity of an individual child's case.
"When I talk to autistic adults, I realize that the progress continues on into adulthood. It's not like growth and maturation stops at age 20, 30, or 40..."
" What’s notable about them is that their progress can be attributed simply to time and the maturation process "
Severity of the Issue
Targeting vaccines as the cause of autism "injury" only wastes time and money better spent on research directed at the main issues.
Parents led to believe that vaccines are the cause will not opt for vaccinating any of their children. Diseases are not harmless. Measles can cause brain swelling that will lead to brain damage. All vaccine preventable diseases can lead to deaths. Tetanus kills one in every ten people that contract it. These are not myths, but well-known facts.
What Else Jenny McCarthy Is Saying, And Why It Is Wrong
Ms. McCarthy says vaccines are one of the "things" that injured her son. That they are one of those "things" that filled up the bucket that has done harm to her child and other children. However autism is not caused by vaccines . Autism is genetic:
In autism, subtle brain abnormalities are present from birth. Infants and toddlers move their bodies differently. From 6 months to 2 years, their heads grow much too fast. Parts of their brain have too many connections, while other parts are under connected.
Moreover, their brains show signs of chronic inflammation in the same areas that show excessive growth. The inflammation appears to last a lifetime.
In autism, white matter grows normally until 9 months, Dr. Herbert said. Then it goes haywire. By 2 years, excessive white matter is found in the frontal lobes, the cerebellum and association areas, where higher-order processing occurs.
The right side of the brain, the nonverbal hemisphere, is especially encased in white matter. The two sides of the brain are poorly connected. Moreover, small functional regions in each hemisphere tend to be prematurely insulated by excess white matter.
A 5-year-old with autism has the same size brain as a normal 13-year-old.
By looking at videotapes of their early months, before their disorders are diagnosed, he finds that autistic children use unusual strategies for locomotion. It is as if the parts of their brains that control movements are not properly connected.
Ms. McCarthy says that all of the parents in her book believe that vaccines caused their childrens' autism/injury. Can we possibly confirm that all of the parents had the same experience? Considering how autism develops at around the same time with every child, then that could be confirmed. What remains unconfirmed is how the parents arrived at their conclusions. What have been their sources of information? Are their sources factual?
5. Other Recent Research
Why does Ms. McCarthy not seem to conclude that these "theories" are not being tested?
While there is not much for conclusive evidence at the above link, it does outline where research is leading to better breakthroughs to help autistic children reach their full potential.
What theories need to be tested even more?
The second link shows that implicated genes don't just change the brain. Other areas that are affected are being studied as well. These other areas include the immune and digestive system. These areas and the brain are being studied, and new therapies are being tested to make sure they are safe and effective. Parents can be assured they are doing the right thing for their children. Therapists, doctors, and researchers are listening to parents.
Evaluating Information
There is widespread misinformation in the media, on the internet, and in other sources of information. These issues can be addressed on the other pages of this website, and notably on the parent testimonial page. The facts do not change however. Many children are led to believe in Santa Clause, but they figure it out sooner or later because the facts point to parents buying the gifts, and the unlikelihood of one man making and delivering gifts to all of the children in the world. One big misunderstanding does not change the fact that vaccines don't cause autism. One preservative in some vaccines, thiomersal, was removed, but the autism rates did not go down. Thiomersal was never used in the MMR vaccine, as that would have killed the live viruses used in that vaccine. Parents were misinformed by many sources claiming that Thiomersal in MMR vaccines was to blame for causing autism, even though MMR never contained the preservative. There is still no reason brought to light as to why MMR or other vaccines could possibly cause autism. Many parents are finding out that the information they have been given by certain sources is simply not true. Vaccines are an easy target for people wanting to sell autism cures, but the rates of autism are still the same in unvaccinated people.
It is time that journalists and other media personalities make the effort to learn more about the issues and facts about vaccines and autism. Jenny McCarthy's media appearances seem to indicate that she has not made the effort to explore all of the facts, or to find out how vaccines or the immune system works, and has been given far too much air time with not enough questions asked.
After going over Ms. McCarthy's appearances in the media, it seems that journalists and other media personalities don't ask enough questions that they need to in order to get to the facts...
Other Autism Information Links:
About Autism Misconception About Autism
Myths and Misconceptions
Common Misconceptions
Autism Epidemic?
Autism Epidemic? #2 3 Reasons Not To Believe In An Autism Epidemic
Mavericks of Autism?
Issues In Immunization Issues In Immunization #2
Myths Persist
Other Protests About Jenny McCarthy:
Neurologica Blog
Respectful Insolence
Stats Blog
Autism Diva
Other Protests About Vaccination Misinformation Sources:
Vaccine Quotes?
Patterns of Deception
More Deception
Dishonesty -Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s completely dishonest thimerosal article
Information about Autism "Cures":
Chelation
Chelation therapy has no significant beneficial effects over (doing nothing)
Autism Not Caused by Poisoning, so Chelation Won't Work
Psychomotor Patterning, A Cruel Pseudoscience
Research References
1. PREVALENCE OF ALLERGIES IN US CHILDREN WITH AUTISM - M Altarac, Department of Maternal and Child Health,University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
About Autism Misconception About Autism
Myths and Misconceptions
Common Misconceptions
Autism Epidemic?
Autism Epidemic? #2 3 Reasons Not To Believe In An Autism Epidemic
Mavericks of Autism?
Issues In Immunization Issues In Immunization #2
Myths Persist
Other Protests About Jenny McCarthy:
Neurologica Blog
Respectful Insolence
Stats Blog
Autism Diva
Other Protests About Vaccination Misinformation Sources:
Vaccine Quotes?
Patterns of Deception
More Deception
Dishonesty -Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s completely dishonest thimerosal article
Information about Autism "Cures":
Chelation
Chelation therapy has no significant beneficial effects over (doing nothing)
Autism Not Caused by Poisoning, so Chelation Won't Work
Psychomotor Patterning, A Cruel Pseudoscience
Research References
1. PREVALENCE OF ALLERGIES IN US CHILDREN WITH AUTISM - M Altarac, Department of Maternal and Child Health,University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Crystal Child and Indigo Mom?
If Ms. McCarthy's son is "cured of/recovered from" autism, is he still a crystal?
Yes, Jenny clearly loves her son. However, how can she claim he is cured but
still claim that he and others are "divine manifestors"? More about her mission:
"I realized not only was I an early Indigo but my son was in fact a Crystal child. From that point on things in my life started to make sense. I always wondered why I was a ball-buster and rule breaker on TV, and at that moment I knew exactly why. I was so eager to go on every talk show and preach to the world about the importance of healthy air, healthy food, and empowering our children to be the divine manifestors they came here to be. I knew immediately that changing education in schools was my global life mission. I want to open schools across the country that apply this philosophy so that our children can be caught in an environment that feeds their soul and has them in continual balance with their authentic self. I want our children to start each day in silent meditation with an intention for that day. I want organic cafeterias, outdoor class sessions, teaching about the power of thought, getting rid of rote memorization."
None of the above quoted wishes of McCarthy's are "bad", but her words speak for themselves. Are schools really just teaching memorization? Is that all Ms. McCarthy remembers about school? Why are others told they are in school to learn how to think, problem solve, and not just to memorize? Many teachers encourage critical thinking and fact-checking. This website was built because Ms. McCarthy doesn't demonstrate that she understands how to fact-check information about this vitally important issue. The easy fixes that Ms. McCarthy proposes in her article sound magical and wonderful, but none of them address actual educational issues that would help children with autism.
If Ms. McCarthy's son is "cured of/recovered from" autism, is he still a crystal?
Yes, Jenny clearly loves her son. However, how can she claim he is cured but
still claim that he and others are "divine manifestors"? More about her mission:
"I realized not only was I an early Indigo but my son was in fact a Crystal child. From that point on things in my life started to make sense. I always wondered why I was a ball-buster and rule breaker on TV, and at that moment I knew exactly why. I was so eager to go on every talk show and preach to the world about the importance of healthy air, healthy food, and empowering our children to be the divine manifestors they came here to be. I knew immediately that changing education in schools was my global life mission. I want to open schools across the country that apply this philosophy so that our children can be caught in an environment that feeds their soul and has them in continual balance with their authentic self. I want our children to start each day in silent meditation with an intention for that day. I want organic cafeterias, outdoor class sessions, teaching about the power of thought, getting rid of rote memorization."
None of the above quoted wishes of McCarthy's are "bad", but her words speak for themselves. Are schools really just teaching memorization? Is that all Ms. McCarthy remembers about school? Why are others told they are in school to learn how to think, problem solve, and not just to memorize? Many teachers encourage critical thinking and fact-checking. This website was built because Ms. McCarthy doesn't demonstrate that she understands how to fact-check information about this vitally important issue. The easy fixes that Ms. McCarthy proposes in her article sound magical and wonderful, but none of them address actual educational issues that would help children with autism.
6. Questions That Jenny McCarthy Needs to Answer:
| · | If Ms. McCarthy wants to be a spokesperson about autism, then why hasn't she considered the research about it, especially the genetic research? |
| · | Can Ms. McCarthy determine what (she considers) research and information are backed up by properly conducted studies? |
| · | Why doesn't Ms. McCarthy know how vaccines work and why there are viruses in them? |
| · | Is Ms. McCarthy willing to be responsible for the injuries and deaths of children who contract vaccine preventable diseases because she asserts that vaccines are a cause of autism "injury"? |
| · | What evidence does Ms. McCarthy have to prove that her son is cured of autism? |
| · | Why does Ms. McCarthy home school Evan and why does Evan's paternal grandmother say that he is not actually cured? |
| · | If Ms. McCarthy wants to be considered the person to spread the word about autism and be a spokesperson, then we ask that she learn more about what it is she is speaking about. Right now though, isn't she only demonstrating what she doesn't know? Is she not putting lives at risk when she suggests vaccines are a cause of autism? This misguided assertion can convince parents to delay or not ever get this preventative measure for their own children. It is no exaggeration to say that the diseases these vaccines prevent do cause life-long injury and death. |
| · | Why is it okay to inject botox for cosmetic purposes, but not to inject proven non-toxic vaccines for health purposes? |
| · | What are Ms. McCarthy's main sources of information when she uses google to search the internet? |
| · | Why is it more important for Ms. McCarthy to be supporting agencies like Generation Rescue and Talk About Curing Autism when they don't offer any real support to parents and only repeat conspiracy theories? |