Montreal Gazette - Autism experts study in vitro fertilization, but disorder's connection to assisted reproduction is far from clear

In vitro fertilization may be another factor in the spike in cases of autism, a mysterious neurological disorder that affects cognition, communication and behaviour of toddlers and children. The majority of children born using IVF do not have autism, and most children who have autism were not conceived using IVF, said Dr. Eric Fombonne, professor of psychiatry at McGill University and head of child psychiatry at the Montreal Children's Hospital.

But "the story is unfolding as we speak," said Fombonne, who has led autism epidemiological studies in a half-dozen countries and whose landmark research has shown that vaccines containing mercury are not among the causes of autism.