Circumcision and Autism: What a New Study Found
(MedPage Today) -- A study of U.S. children found no evidence linking neonatal male circumcision with autism spectrum disorder, prospective data from the ECHO cohort showed. Among nearly 2,800 boys in 14 ECHO sites, 6% of those who were circumcised...
A recent study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found no link between neonatal male circumcision and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a cohort of nearly 2,800 U.S. boys. The research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, adjusted for various confounding factors and found that circumcision did not increase the risk of autism diagnosis.
The study, which analyzed data from 14 ECHO sites, showed that 6% of circumcised boys had ASD compared to 9% of uncircumcised boys. The researchers concluded that circumcision may provide reassurance for families considering or who have elected the procedure for their sons. The findings come in response to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial claim in September 2025 that circumcised boys were twice as likely to develop autism due to acetaminophen administration during the procedure.
The study aimed to investigate the potential connection between circumcision and ASD, given that only a small percentage of newborn males in the U.S. are circumcised. Previous studies, including an ecological study and a Danish registry study, have suggested a link between circumcision and autism, but researchers have criticized these studies for their lack of robust data and alternative explanations for the observed associations.
Written by urgent.news from MedPage Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
