According to the reports, a researcher in Israel reports a strong statistical link between in vitro fertilization and mild to moderate cases of autism.

Dr. Ditza Zachor of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine, who conducted research at the Autism Center at the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Israel, found 10.5 percent of 461 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were conceived using IVF, compared to the 3.5 percent autism rate in the general Israeli population.

Zachor says in a statement, "It's too early to make a serious deduction based on that evidence alone."

Zachor noted the mothers in her study who had IVF tended to be older, median age of 32.6. Nearly 4 percent of the children with autism were born prematurely and about 5 percent of those had a low birth weight.

Zachor says, "Many infertile couples choose this procedure, and they need to know whether there is a risk of autism."

However, Zachor stresses most women who undergo in vitro fertilization should not be scared away from IVF procedures, because the majority of children born using IVF do not have autism and most children who have autism were not conceived using IVF. (With Inputs from Agencies)