Male hormone in womb linked to autistic characteristics : study

But he underlined that the study was not confirming a link between foetal testosterone levels and full-blown autism.

"We all have some autistic traits -- these are a spectrum or a dimension of individual differences, like height.

"It is important to note that this research does not demonstrate that elevated foetal testosterone is associated with a clinical diagnosis of autism or Asperger Syndrome," he added.

The Guardian newspaper said that the research, published in The British Journal of Psychology, could bring prenatal screening for autism closer to reality, potentially allowing women to terminate babies with the condition.

Baron-Cohen said this needed to be debated. "If there was a prenatal test for autism, would this be desirable? What would we lose if children with autistic spectrum disorder were eliminated from the population?" he said.

"We should start debating this. There is a test for Down's Syndrome and that is legal and parents exercise their right to choose termination, but autism is often linked with talent. It is a different kind of condition."