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: Invertebrate Research Reveals Clue to Evolutionary Origins of the Chiropractic Subluxation

New evidence calls into question the belief that chiropractic subluxations require a spine, much to the relief of millions of suffering invertebrate species.

/ January 13, 2017

Newborn Chiropractic, False Balance, and The Doctors

The vacuous TV docs on The Doctors have demonstrated once again why the show is a highly unreliable source for medical information of any sort.

/ December 30, 2016

The ACOG Releases Watered Down New Guidelines on Immersion During Labor and Delivery

In its new report, the ACOG remains clear on the lack of solid evidence in support of claimed benefits of water immersion during the first stage of labor. Inexplicably, though, it has inappropriately softened its stance on restricting underwater delivery to proper clinical trials.

/ December 16, 2016

Science-Based Satire: Cleveland Clinic Subscription Box Service Introduces Integrative Medicine to Curious Consumers

Cleveland, OH- Cleveland native Kelly Anderson is looking forward to the end of the month like a young child anxiously awaiting Christmas morning. That’s because on a day between the 20th and the 28th of December, she will receive the gift of hope. Anderson, a 43-year-old mother of five who was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease and numerous nutritional imbalances earlier this...

/ December 2, 2016

Homeopathic Syrup for the Treatment of Pediatric Colds: Randomized Controlled Nonsense is Still Nonsense

According to the authors of the latest study claiming to demonstrate effectiveness of homeopathic remedies, colds are common in the pediatric population. They further explain that colds and cough symptoms are a frequent impetus for parents to seek pediatric medical care. Finally, they add that evidence in support of decongestants, antihistamines and cough suppressants for the treatment of pediatric cold symptoms is...

/ November 18, 2016

Science-Based Satire: Naturopaths Warn Parents of Halloween Candy Dangers

[Ed. Note: Dr. Jones had a Halloween-themed post in mind; so he and Dr. Gorski have basically switched places just for this week. Expect Dr. Gorski’s post later this week.] Columbus, OH – Experts from the Columbus Naturopathic Medicine Center are warning parents of the dangers that may be waiting for their children on Halloween night, dangers like high-fructose corn syrup, gluten,...

/ October 31, 2016

An Update on FDA Concerns Over Homeopathic Teething Products

Steven Novella recently wrote a post discussing an FDA warning against the use of homeopathic teething products over safety concerns related to the possibility of toxic amounts of belladonna. He goes into the hypocrisy of the FDA regulation of homeopathic products, a topic covered numerous times here on Science-Based Medicine, as well as the misleading initial response from Hyland’s, producers of the...

/ October 21, 2016

American Academy of Pediatrics Calls for End to Pediatric Codeine Use…Again

The safe and effective management of subjective symptoms in the pediatric population, in particular pain, has always been difficult. Young patients, even premature infants at the limit of viability, experience pain, a fact that sadly was not widely accepted until the late last century. But even with full recognition of pain as a potential concern in all pediatric patients, undertreatment of pain remains...

/ September 23, 2016

Belly Button Healing: Science plus Magic for Only $99?

If you wanted to design and market an ineffective treatment with the best chance of successfully fooling consumers, it would have to include a certain set of key components in order to maximize profit. A connection to nature is extremely important, the more emotional the better. Although trickier to pull off, your product would need to call upon ancient wisdom while also...

/ September 9, 2016

An Unexpected Miscellany of Medical Malarkey

  I had originally intended a focused discussion of a single topic, but life circumstances have conspired to prevent me from doing so.  In the place of my intended post, please enjoy the following collection of hastily assembled pseudomedical odds and ends brought to my attention over the past few weeks.

/ August 26, 2016