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.

Are Humans Cooling? Probably Not.

Are humans cooling? According to a recent study out of Stanford, yes we are...a bit. I'm skeptical of the findings, however, and even more so of the proposed explanations. More data is needed.

/ January 24, 2020

Seizure Medications Safer Than Previously Thought for Breastfed Babies

A new study, recently published in JAMA Neurology, further supports the safety of breastfeeding while taking medications for epilepsy. But there are a couple caveats to be aware of.

/ January 10, 2020

Measles Deaths Surge Worldwide Thanks to Poverty and Anti-Vaccine Propaganda

According to recently released WHO/CDC data on worldwide measles mortality, 2018 marks the second year in a row with a significant increase since the historical low in 2016. And 2019 is shaping up to be even worse. The main reason for this is poverty and lack of access is resource poor regions.

/ December 13, 2019

Science-Based Satire: Pacifier Vaporizer Manufacturer Denies Marketing to Infants

Have e-cigarette companies really been marketing to infants? Could this actually be a real product? It's an undeniable fact that children have been targeted in an effort to produce customers for life, but thankfully this is satire. The littlest ones are safe…for now.

/ November 29, 2019

From the Vault: Newborn Vitamin K Shots Save Baby Lives

I've gone into the vault in order to save new content until after technical difficulties have been ironed out. Here is one of my earliest and most memorable (to me) posts on the newborn vitamin K shot and risks of refusing it.

/ November 15, 2019

Tattoos Won’t Boost Your Immune System

Can getting a tattoo help reduce your risk of catching a cold? What about getting a bunch of 'em? Sadly, no amount of ink is going to boost your immune system.

/ October 18, 2019

Vaccines in the News: The Good, the Bad, and the Imminent Loss of Our Measles Elimination Status

A quick recap of vaccine-related news from over the past several weeks.

/ October 4, 2019

The Verdict is In: There is No Justice for Ezekiel Stephan

Ezekiel Stephan died from bacterial meningitis and his parents' failure to seek appropriate medical care in 2012, and now they have been acquitted after the Supreme Court of Canada ordered a new trial. It appears that there may be no justice for Ezekiel.

/ September 20, 2019

A British Teenager is Blind, But Not Because of Junk Food or “Fussy Eating”

A recent case report about a British teenager blinded by severe nutritional deficiencies resulted in widespread media coverage, much of which missed the point. He wasn't blinded by junk food and he wasn't just a fussy eater.

/ September 6, 2019

Science-Based Satire: Children of Anti-Vaccine Parents More Likely to Refuse Cootie Shot

Are the children of anti-vaccine parents refusing their cootie shots? Are we at risk of seeing outbreaks in our schools? They do say that the organic, non-GMO apples don't fall far from the tree. No, this is satire. Everyone knows that the cootie virus can only be found in government research laboratories.

/ August 23, 2019