Winter babies more likely to develop autism, researchers find

By Staff Writer

Children who are born in the winter months are more likely to develop autism than individuals born during other seasons, new research suggests.

The report, which appears in the journal Epidemiology, is based on an examination of more than 7 million children born during the 1990s and early 2000s. Compared to July babies, children born in the months of December, January and February had at least an 8 percent higher incidence of autism. That total reached as high as 16 percent in March.

Researchers surmised that environmental factors, such as exposure to seasonal viruses such as influenza, may contribute to higher rates of autistic babies.

Past studies in Israel, Denmark and Sweden have also indicated high risks of autism for children born in March. However, past research in the U.S., UK and Canada revealed that babies who were born in the spring seasons were more likely to develop autism later in life.

A recent report by Oxford University scientists revealed that individuals born in the spring are more likely to develop eating disorders.

Regardless of what month they were born in, adolescents who struggle with developmental disorders or emotional problems may benefit from summer boot camps for teens.