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Neonatal Medical Male Circumcision and Child Autism Diagnosis

JAMA Pediatrics·August 3Open Access
PediatricsConfirms priorAutism Spectrum DisorderProspective Cohort StudySurgical ProcedureChildNeonateAcetaminophen

Summary

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What was studied

This prospective cohort study (ECHO Cohort, 2003–2025) examined whether neonatal medical male circumcision (NMC) within 28 days of birth was associated with ASD diagnosis or autism-related traits in 2,771 male singleton children across 14 US sites.

Key findings

No association was found between NMC and ASD diagnosis after adjusting for confounders (OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.59–1.17). Circumcised boys had a lower raw rate of autism (6%, 108/1,840) vs. uncircumcised boys (9%, 84/931), but this difference did not persist in adjusted models. No associations were found for autism-related traits (SRS-2) or behaviors (CBCL 1.5/5) either.

Study limitations

- ASD diagnosis relied partly on parent-reported medical professional diagnosis, not solely criterion-standard clinical assessments. - Acetaminophen use data were only available for a subset, limiting analysis of that potential confounder. - Observational design cannot fully exclude residual confounding (e.g., by socioeconomic or cultural factors correlated with circumcision rates).

Clinical implications

Clinicians and families can be reassured that neonatal medical circumcision is not associated with increased autism risk based on this large, multi-site prospective cohort. This evidence directly counters widespread public speculation about an NMC–ASD link.

Related Questions

Explore related topics

Does neonatal circumcision affect neurodevelopmental outcomes in boys?What is the evidence linking acetaminophen use in newborns to autism risk?How reliable is parent-reported ASD diagnosis compared to clinical assessment in cohort studies?

Publication Details

Year
2026
Journal
JAMA Pediatrics
Sample Size
n=2,771
Source
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