Badawi and colleagues (p 85) report on a positive association between newborn encephalopathy (NE) in term neonates and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study they conducted has several strengths worth mentioning that include the population-based nature of their sample, the systematic ascertainment of cases of NE in a well-defined population, the selection of a proper control series, and a comprehensive independent assessment of case status at follow-up.