ASHE SCHOW: Popular anti-fracking study discredited by Colorado health department.

“With regard to this particular study, people should not rush to judgment.”

Why? Because the study didn’t distinguish between active wells and inactive wells. It also did not distinguish between vertical, horizontal, oil or natural gas wells.

“This makes it difficult to draw conclusions on the actual exposure people may have had,” Wolk said.

Further, the researchers never considered outside factors that may have resulted in birth defects, such as drinking or smoking.

“Without considering the effect of these personal risk factors, as well as the role of genetic factors, it is very difficult to draw conclusions from this study,” Wolk said.

Oddly, the study in question showed a decreased risk of pre-term birth among women who lived closer to wells, which should have raised questions about its findings from the beginning.

Support fracking. For the children! What, you got something against healthy babies?