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Circumcision Linked To Autism In New Study

Boys circumcised before their fifth birthday shown to have a higher likelihood of being on the Aspergers Spectrum Disorder, but is the ancient cultural practise the cause?

It’s a long-standing tradition among the male members of the Royal family (unsurprisingly, Kate and Wills haven’t revealed if Prince George has had the procedure) and a question of faith for some parents – and a personal preference for others.

But circumcision is still widely debated.

Male circumcision isn't very common in the UK anymore, due to its lack of medical benefits [Rex]
Male circumcision isn't very common in the UK anymore, due to its lack of medical benefits [Rex]



New stats have found a striking correlation between male children who had been circumcised and autism diagnoses.

The figures, reported in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, were the result of a comprehensive study of over 340,000 boys in Denmark.

According to the stats, boys circumcised before their fifth birthday were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with autism than those who weren't.
 
Researchers suggested that it could be down to the pain associated with the procedure.

There's a tradition of the male members of the royal family being circumcised [Rex]
There's a tradition of the male members of the royal family being circumcised [Rex]



Despite medication, the procedure isn’t entirely pain-free and it seems to be even worse for young babies both during and after the operation, according to experts. This pain in early childhood has been linked to long-term issues with pain perception, which can be a characteristic of autism in children.

“Possible mechanisms linking early life pain and stress to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental, behavioural or psychological problems in later life remain incompletely conceptualised,” says Professor Morten Frisch, of Copenhagen’s Statens Serum Institut, who conducted the study.

“Given the widespread practice of non-therapeutic circumcision in infancy and childhood around the world, our findings should prompt other researchers to examine the possibility that circumcision trauma in infancy or early childhood might carry an increased risk of serious neurodevelopmental and psychological consequences.”

However, another expert advises parents not to pay too much attention to the survey.

“This report is far from convincing: correlation does not equal causation,” says professor David Katz, from University College London.

“There is a long history of attempts to link autistic spectrum disorders to unrelated practices, such as the measles/mumps/rubella association, which proved to be fraudulent.

“There is general agreement that in people suffering from an ASD there are abnormalities that can be identified in brain structure and/or function. There is a strong genetic component, which may be a factor within the faith communities studied here, and which does not appear to have been explored amongst them.”

Katz continues to explain that factors aside from the genetic component are contributing to the increasing occurrence of autism.

“For example, a variety of environmental toxins have been invoked to explain why these conditions are more prevalent today than they may have been in the past - but again proof of causation is lacking, and these factors are only likely to be relevant in those who are already vulnerable to them.”

Another expert is more supportive of the study’s findings, but recognises that further research is needed.  

“This study raises an interesting question, but one that cannot be fully answered with these data,” says professor Kevin McConway, from the Open University.

“The study is observational, and in such studies it’s always tricky to tell what causes what. The observed increase in risk of autism spectrum disorder in circumcised boys might be due to the circumcision, or it might not.

“Religions that prescribe circumcision prescribe other things too, such as diet or clothing. Perhaps differences in diet or clothing lead to the increased ASD risk, rather than the circumcision. Cultural and family differences may be crucial.”

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Would this new research put you off having your son circumcised? Let us know in the comments.