Update on Motherisk research review

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) has completed a review of research studies conducted by Dr. Gideon Koren. The review of publications documenting this work aimed to determine whether the research studies met requirements for conflicts of interest disclosure and approval from the Research Ethics Board (REB) at SickKids.

SickKids has contacted five scientific journals regarding 12 publications since 2010 that may have undisclosed conflicts of interest. Due to the fact that standards for disclosing conflicts have varied over time and by journal, the hospital cannot confirm with certainty that undisclosed conflicts exist.

The review of research publications to assess the level of compliance with REB standards and approvals was inconclusive. The scientific review of these publications was exceptionally challenging due to a number of factors, including lack of access to data and the passage of time since the work was conducted.