A recent report released by the US government regarding children’s health has come under fire for citing “entirely fictitious” studies, according to academics mistakenly attributed as authors of these works.
Initially published on May 22, the report aimed to address a “chronic disease crisis” affecting children across America. An updated version was released on May 29 when the digital platform NOTUS revealed the inclusion of seven fabricated sources.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged “formatting issues” and stated that the report would be revised, asserting that this does not undermine the report’s overall implications.
Led by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for promoting discredited viewpoints linking vaccines to autism, the report’s findings were influenced by an executive order from President Donald Trump. It aimed to investigate the underlying causes of chronic diseases in children.
The report attributed factors such as poor nutrition, environmental pollutants, stress, lack of exercise, and what it deemed “overmedicalisation” as contributors to the health crisis.
However, various scholars, including Guohua Li of Columbia University, contested their involvement in the cited studies, labeling the references as “completely fabricated.” Other academics echoed these sentiments, raising concerns about the reliability of citation practices in scientific reporting.
The Democratic National Committee criticized RFK Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services for basing its policy priorities on non-existent sources, pointing out numerous citation errors in the report.
Source: www.bbc.com
