Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark and the University of California found that full-term children who had jaundice within a few days or weeks of birth had a 50 to 88 per cent greater risk of developing psychological development disorders, compared with other babies.
Babies born between October and March who had developed jaundice also showed a greater risk of autism. The researchers suggested this could be because of reduced exposure to daylight and the increased number of infections during the winter period.
The risk of an autism diagnosis increased if the child was born between October and March but was no greater if the child was born between April and September, the study said.
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