Pediatric response:
Resuscitating infants with 100% oxygen, especially when born premature, has come under the gun. There are numerous complications associated with using 100% O2, including a link to childhood leukemias. But there’s no strong link to autism that I’m aware of at the present time. There have been studies suggesting a link between low oxygen saturation in newborns, e.g. due to difficult deliveries, and future developmental delays, including autism. But the condition is likely multifactorial, with genetic factors playing a strong role, among others.

There are new guidelines recommending blended O2, especially for premature babies. Generally, it’s advised to start with 100% and blend downward to maintain saturations above 90. It’s normal for newborns to saturate lower (i.e. 88-92%) in the first few hours.

Psychiatric response:
There have been some studies by pediatric anesthetists comparing the use of 100% oxygen to room air for resuscitation of newborns. The results suggest that room air may be less toxic to infants than pure oxygen. A Cochrane systematic review looking at this issue has concluded that there’s insufficient evidence to determine this with certainty, though.

I’m not aware of any papers linking the use of oxygen for newborns with the development of autism, and a literature search didn’t bring up any papers that showed such a relationship. Dr. Leon Sloman, a child psychiatrist who specializes in pervasive developmental delay (including autism), says that he’s unaware of any link between oxygen administration and the condition. But he hypothesized that there could be an indirect link, as neonates requiring resuscitation are already vulnerable and therefore more likely to develop autism.

References

1. Robertson NJ. Crit Care 2005;9:128-30.
2. van der Walt J. Paediatr Anaesth 2006;16:1107-11.