Medical Journal Admits 138 of Its Case Reports Were Entirely Made Up
Gizmodo • • health
Key Points:
- The journal Paediatrics & Child Health revealed that 138 case studies published since 2000 were entirely fictional, created to protect patient confidentiality, but these were not clearly labeled as such until recently.
- These fabricated case reports, part of the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program, have been cited 218 times as factual evidence in peer-reviewed medical literature worldwide, spreading misinformation.
- The exposure of a particularly controversial 2010 case about neonatal opioid toxicity from breastfeeding, admitted to be fictional by a coauthor, prompted the journal to issue correction notices rather than full retractions.
- Critics argue that some fabricated cases, such as the “baby boy blue” report, should be retracted due to their inflammatory and scientifically unsupported claims, contrasting
