Study Links Proximity To Fracking Sites To Low Birth Weights

Fracking continues to raise eyebrows across the nation when it comes to safety and even earthquakes. Now, it's being tied to low birth weights in babies.

A new study shows that living close to a high number of "fracked" natural gas wells may be linked to an increased risk of having a lower birth weight baby.

In this study, University of Pittsburgh researchers analyzed the birth records of more than 15,000 babies born in three Pennsylvania counties between 2007 and 2010.

What they found is women who lived close to a high number of natural gas fracking sites were 34 percent more likely to have babies who were smaller than normal than mothers who did not live close to a large number of such wells.

Researchers also found the findings to be true even after they accounted for numerous factors that could affect a newborn's weight, including whether a mother smoked, her race, age, education, prenatal care and whether she'd had previous children, as well as the baby's gender.

There's a little disclaimer on the study. Researchers said this does not prove that living close to a high number fracking sites causes lower birth weights, but they feel it does show the need to further investigate.