The probability of autism is much higher among newborns with jaundice, reports Pediatrics journal.
A ten-year Danish study of more than 700,000 babies born between 1994 and 2004 showed that those with jaundice have a 67 per cent increased risk of autism.
At birth, about 60 per cent of full-term newborns and 80 per cent of preemies have jaundice, a condition that turns the skin and whites of the eyes yellow. Jaundice is caused by the excessive production of bilirubin, a substance produced when the body destroys red blood cells.
The condition typically resolves itself within a few weeks, but prolonged exposure to high levels of bilirubin is toxic to the brain and can cause developmental problems over the long term.