Nov 06, 2013 03:10 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

New and ongoing research suggests autism can be identified in infants as young as two months old, BBC News reported.

Researchers from Emory University examined how babies looked at faces from birth to the age of three years old. Lack of eye contact, a distinguishing sign of autism, was spotted in most of the infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Reporting their study in the journal Nature, the Emory researchers used eye-tracking technology to also examine how the infants responded to certain cues. Beginning at two months old, those who were later diagnosed with autism displayed a declining attention to another person's eyes.

"It tells us for the first time that it's possible to detect some signs of autism in the first months of life," study lead author Warren Jones said. "These are the earliest signs of autism that we've ever observed."

For their study, Jones and his colleagues studied 59 infants with high risk of autism (because their sibling was diagnosed) and 51 with a low risk. A total of 13 children - 11 boys and two girls - were diagnosed with a range of autism spectrum disorders, which includes Asperger's.

"In infants with autism, eye contact is declining already in the first six months of life," said Jones. "It's not something that parents would be able to see by themselves at all. If parents have concerns they should talk to their pediatrician."

Caroline Hattersley, head of information, advice and advocacy at the National Autistic Society, said more research needs to be done on this specific topic because the sample size is too small.

"No two people with autism are the same, and so a holistic approach to diagnosis is required that takes into account all aspects of an individual's behavior. A more comprehensive approach allows all of a person's support needs to be identified," she said. "It's vital that everyone with autism can access a diagnosis, as it can be key to unlocking the right support which can enable people with the condition to reach their full potential."

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