Jaundice in newborns may be linked to autism

They found that 2.37 per cent of full-term babies treated for jaundice developed autism compared to 1.4 per cent of babies without jaundice. 

However,it isn’t clear whether jaundice is a cause or consequence of an increased risk of autism,reports New Scientist. 

While the study did not look for a mechanism,the team suggests that bilirubin,the toxin that accumulates in jaundice,may damage brain tissue and disrupt brain development,leading to autism. 

The study appears in the Journal Pediatrics.