Low-birth weight children and children born prematurely are at a greater risk of developing autism than their healthier counterparts, new research shows.

The risk was especially pronounced among low birth-weight girls, said the authors of the study, which was published in the June issue of Pediatrics. Baby girls weighing less than 2.5 kilograms, or about 5.5 pounds, had 3.5 times increased risk of autism. Baby girls born more than seven weeks early had a 5.4 times increased risk

Around 5,000 families who believe that a mercury-based preservative, thimerosal, found in many vaccines causes the development of autism have filed claims with the U.S. Court of Claims. The families allege vaccines caused autism and other neurological problems in their children.

Autism is a developmental disability which usually appears in children during their first 36 months. Once an uncommon disorder in the United States, the incidence of autism is now occurring at epidemic rates

The U.S. will soon have the largest measles outbreak in more than seven years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday.

In 2008, measles outbreaks in several states have led to more than 70 cases so far, the worst in six years, health officials added

A new study shows a statistically significant link between industrial release of mercury and increased rates of autism in children at a time when more Americans are using compact fluorescent light bulbs that can release mercury if thrown in the trash instead of being carefully recycled.

The study published in the journal Health & Place by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, showed that there is a statistically significant association between autism risk and the distance from a mercury source. It is the first time such a link has been published in scientific literature

The federal government has conceded that vaccines contributed to a Georgia child developing autism, however, that does not mean the government is conceding that there is a link between vaccinations and autism, observers say.

The Georgia girl developed an autism-like symptoms after becoming sick within 19 hours of being vaccinated when she was 19-months-old. Further tests showed she had an underlying genetic mitochondrial disorder