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.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has an Integrative Medicine Problem

The American Academy of Pediatrics is usually a trustworthy source of high quality information for patients, caregivers, and pediatric medical providers. But when it comes to so-called integrative medicine, they have a massive biased blind spot. In this post, I discuss a recently updated clinical report from their Section on Integrative Medicine.

/ October 20, 2017
Acupuncture

Yet Another Miscellany of Medical Malarkey

Acupuncture for menstrual cramps, chiropractic for the prevention of domestic terrorism, and more in this miscellany of medical malarkey. Or would you prefer hodgepodge of healthcare hokum?

/ October 6, 2017

Maximized Living: “5 Essentials” of Chiropractic Marketing Propaganda

What do vitalism, old school chiropractic subluxations, germ theory denial, detox supplements, marketing gimmicks, and practicing way beyond a reasonable scope have in common?

/ September 22, 2017

Another Child Harmed by Pseudomedicine: Lead Poisoning from a “Homeopathic Healing” Bracelet

The CDC has published a report on yet another child harmed by exposure to a caregiver's belief in quackery...and the toxic level of lead found in a "homeopathic" teething bracelet.

/ September 8, 2017

Is the use of “Open-Label” Placebo Ethical in the Treatment of Children?

Is the use of "open-label" placebo ethical in pediatric medical care, or any care for that matter? A recent article in Pediatrics discussing this issue comes to a flawed conclusion based on a misunderstanding of placebo and of the literature on placebo without deception.

/ August 25, 2017

Science-Based Satire: Australian Fetus First to Undergo Intrauterine Chiropractic Adjustment

Are chiropractic surgeons really performing intrauterine spinal adjustments based on the results of nonsensical muscle tests and ultrasound imaging? No.

/ August 11, 2017

It’s Still Not Safe to Go Back in the Water, and Other Tales of Woo

A thoughtful discussion of water-based topics ranging from toddlers pooping in the pool to recommendations on daily alkaline water intake for newborns.

/ July 28, 2017

Placentophagy and the Risk of Invasive Neonatal GBS Disease

A young infant has suffered an invasive and potentially deadly bacterial infection...twice! Now the CDC is warning that maternal placentophagy may have played a role.

/ July 14, 2017

The Ethics of Involuntary Pediatric Drug Testing

Although it may seem like a good idea, testing for recreational drug use on an adolescent patient without consent is ethically questionable, challenging to interpret, and unlikely to benefit patient or family.

/ June 16, 2017

Quackery for Kids

A brief rant and a few random observations on quackery for kids.

/ June 2, 2017