REsearch suggests ritual circumcision was linked to an overall 46-62% increase in the risk of developing autism

Circumcised boys may be more likely to develop autism in early childhood, according to a new study.

Researchers in Denmark found that ritual circumcision was linked to an overall 46-62 per cent increase in the risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the first 10 years of life. However, other experts said the findings showed only that circumcised boys were more likely to receive an early diagnosis.

The research, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, looked at children born in Denmark between 1994 and 2003.

More than 340,000 boys were followed to age nine, and almost 5,000 cases of ASD were diagnosed.

Scientists carried out the research after studies showing “long-term alterations in pain perception” among newborns, associated