By: Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer

Published: 11/07/2013 07:04 AM EST on LiveScience


How long infants spend looking at other people's eyes may be an early marker of autism, a new study suggests.


In the study, infants watched a video of a person acting like a caregiver, while the researchers tracked their eye movements.


Infants that later developed autism[1] were found to show declines in how long they looked at the caregiver's eyes, starting around ages 2 months to 6 months.


By age 2, children with autism[2] looked at caregiver's eyes about half as long as children without autism.


The earlier doctors can identify autism[3] , the more effective treatments are thought to be. Future studies may help researchers figure out how to preserve some of the eye-looking skills that babies with autism seem to have at birth, the researchers said.


Future treatment may be able to "build on that early eye-looking and help reduce some of the associated disabilities that often accompany autism," said study researcher Warren Jones, of Emory University.



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  • 1 In 50 School-Age Children In The U.S. Has An Autism Spectrum Disorder


    According to <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0329_autism_disorder.html" target="_blank">a parental survey conducted by the CDC</a>, prevalence has increased <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/health/parental-study-shows-rise-in-autism-spectrum-cases.html?_r=0" target="_blank">from 1 in 86 in 2007</a>. In 2012, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html" target="_blank">the CDC estimated that 1 in 88 kids have an ASD</a>, an estimate that is not incorrect, but relies on different sources. Rather than parental report, it looked at medical and school records to determine prevalence.




  • Boys Are More Likely To Have Autism Than Girls


    Autism is found in <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/features/countingautism/" target="_blank">1 in 54 boys</a>, compared to 1 in 252 girls.




  • The Symptoms Of An ASD Can Present Themselves In Infancy


    <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233533082" target="_blank">According to the NIH</a>, early indicators include: No babbling by age 1, no single words by 16 months, poor eye contact and more. (<a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233533082" target="_blank">Click here for more information from NIH</a>.)




  • Scientists Are Not Certain What Causes Autism


    <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233543082" target="_blank">According to the NIMH</a>, both <a href="http://www.childmind.org/en/health/disorder-guide/autism-spectrum-disorder" target="_blank">genetic and environmental factors</a> could contribute.




  • There Is No Cure For Autism, But There Are Ways To Treat It


    Autism is treated with <a href="http://www.childmind.org/en/health/disorder-guide/autism-spectrum-disorder" target="_blank">therapy, education plans and medication</a>. Doctors and scientists say that <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233563082" target="_blank">early identification and intervention</a> for children with an ASD can help them thrive in academically and socially in the future.




  • Research Shows That There Is No Link Between The Onset Of Autism And Vaccinations


    Even when <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/03/29/175626824/the-number-of-early-childhood-vaccines-not-linked-to-autism" target="_blank">multiple vaccines</a> are given to a child on the same day, they are still <a href="http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/29/17516929-new-study-finds-no-link-between-too-many-vaccines-and-autism?lite" target="_blank">not at risk</a> of developing <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geraldine-dawson-/autism-awareness-day_b_2979117.html" target="_blank">autism</a>.




  • If A Child Has An ASD, Their Sibling Has A 2–18 Percent Chance Of Also Being Affected


    Studies have also shown that if a child with an ASD has an identical twin, the other will be affected anywhere from <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html" target="_blank">36-95 percent of the time</a>.




  • 20 To 30 Percent Of Children With An ASD Develop Epilepsy


    Children whose <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233563082" target="_blank">language skills regress before they turn 3</a> have been found to have a higher risk of developing epilepsy.




  • About 10 Percent Of Children Who Have An ASD Also Have Another Genetic, Metabolic Or Neurologic Disorder


    These <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/23/us-anxiety-autism-idUSTRE80M0EO20120123" target="_blank">disorders</a> include Bipolar Disorder, Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome according to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/research.html" target="_blank">CDC</a>.




  • Infants And Young Children Should Be Screened For Developmental Delays At Periodic Intervals


    The CDC recommends <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/screening.html" target="_blank">children be screened</a> when the are 9, 18 and 24-30 months.




  • Keep Reading


    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/this-is-autism_n_3064385.html" target="_blank">LOOK: This Is What Autism Looks Like</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/autism-prevalence_n_2909533.html" target="_blank">Study Shows Big Leap In Autism Prevalence</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brenda-rothman/autism_b_2733094.html?utm_hp_ref=parents-autism" target="_blank">Autism Is Not a Parenting Fail </a>