He cited flaws in thedesignofthestudy that render any conclusions meaningless and asked whether thestudy passed peer review due to incompetence ofthe reviewers and editors or due to conflicts-of-interest among the former.
Overall responsibility for thedesign and implementation ofthestudy was given to the National Institute of Child Health and Development, with input from a number of advisory and oversight committees, the Director ofthe NIH, and with the involvement of other government agencies (the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency).