All posts by Clay Jones

Clay Jones, M.D. is a pediatrician and a regular contributor to the Science-Based Medicine blog. He primarily cares for healthy newborns and hospitalized children, and devotes his full time to educating pediatric residents and medical students. Dr. Jones first became aware of and interested in the incursion of pseudoscience into his chosen profession while completing his pediatric residency at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital a decade ago. He has since focused his efforts on teaching the application of critical thinking and scientific skepticism to the practice of pediatric medicine. Dr. Jones has no conflicts of interest to disclose and no ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He can be found on Twitter as @SBMPediatrics and is the co-host of The Prism Podcast with fellow SBM contributor Grant Ritchey. The comments expressed by Dr. Jones are his own and do not represent the views or opinions of Newton-Wellesley Hospital or its administration.

Science-Based Satire: Area Child Killed by Unwieldy Backpack

Was a child recently murdered by a heavy backpack? Do unwieldy backpacks cause scoliosis and long term general health problems? Should we care what chiropractors have to say about pediatric spinal health? No. This isn't remotely true and honestly I'm a little surprised that you would even ask me that. It's satire.

/ August 7, 2020

Emerging Evidence of Intrauterine SARS-CoV-2 Infections

New evidence supports the potential for intrauterine spread of SARS-CoV-2 to a developing fetus. It's uncommon, but something to take seriously. Also some good news from the AAP regarding the care of babies born to mothers with COVID-19!

/ July 24, 2020

The Questionable Ethics of Medical Grade Nonsense: Chinese Herbal Medicine and Kawasaki Disease

A toddler in China with Kawasaki disease was treated with herbs and potions rather than science, and is extremely lucky to have survived without serious complications.

/ July 10, 2020

Lotus Birth To Blame for Death of Australian Newborn

Lotus Birth, an "ethically inadmissible" practice where a newborn is left attached to the placenta for several days, is risky, benefit free, and is likely to blame for the death of an Australian infant in 2017.

/ June 26, 2020

A Rare and Mysterious Inflammatory Syndrome in Children is Linked to COVID-19

A mysterious inflammatory condition, likely caused by COVID-19, is affecting a small number of children. We don't know much about it yet, but we are certain to see additional cases and to learn more about why this is happening. Still, it's not time to panic.

/ May 29, 2020

The CDC Releases New Data on COVID-19 in Children

Another large data set, this time from the CDC, supports the anecdotal observations that pediatric COVID-19 cases tend to be mild and that a very small percentage of children are requiring intensive care. The absence of obvious symptoms increases the risk of spreading the virus, so social distancing and proper hygiene are key when it comes to kids.

/ April 10, 2020

England’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year: Mumps and the “Wakefield Cohort”

It may not be the most worrisome virus out there these days, but England has just had its worst year of mumps infections in a decade thanks in large part to their "Wakefield cohort".

/ March 27, 2020

Science-Based Satire: Kinesiology Masks Revolutionize Coronavirus Prevention

Can colorful elastic tape applied to your face by certified practitioners reduce your risk of catching the novel coronavirus? No. And that's a hard no. This is satire.

/ March 13, 2020

A Popular Class of Antibiotics May Increase Risk of Birth Defects

A new study in the British Medical Journal has revealed a possible association between taking a popular antibiotic during early pregnancy and major congenital malformations.

/ February 28, 2020

Inappropriate Antibiotic Use is Rampant in U.S. Pediatric Hospitals

A recent study looked at antibiotic use in thousands of hospitalized children and the results weren't great. Too many kids are receiving suboptimal antibiotic prescriptions. One potential solution is an increased focus on, and improved resources for, antibiotic stewardship programs.

/ February 14, 2020