New respiratory virus caused infections in Jordan

The World Health Organization has reported two additional cases of infection with the new coronavirus, the earliest on record.

The agency says retrospective testing of stored samples show two people who died in Jordan in April were infected with the virus, which is from the same virus family as SARS.

It isn't known if the cases in Jordan were spread person-to-person but if so, it wasn't sustained, says WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Prior to this the first known case had been a man from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who fell ill and died in June.

The new report from the WHO brings to nine the number of confirmed infections with the new virus, of which five cases have been fatal.

When it came to light that a new coronavirus was causing severe human illnesses in the Middle East, questions were raised about an outbreak of severe pneumonia cases that had occurred in Jordan in April.

At the time health officials were not able to diagnose what was causing the illnesses, but stored samples from two of the patients tested positive recently for the new coronavirus.

In a statement issued Friday, the WHO says Jordan's ministry of health has asked the global health agency for assistance in investigating the infections.

Health-care workers infected

A team from WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office and from WHO headquarters arrived in the Jordanian capital, Amman on Wednesday to help with studies aimed at trying to trace the source of infection and strengthen capacity to spot new cases.

A potentially worrisome aspect of the Jordanian outbreak is that it involved health-care workers. Health-care workers can be unwitting sentinels in disease outbreaks, picking up infections from patients that they treat. If health-care workers become infected, that can often — though not always — be a sign a pathogen can spread from person to person.

To date there has been no sign of sustained person-to-person spread of the virus, though there was a recent cluster of three and possibly four family members who got sick in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two of them died.

The Jordanian cases may signal spread from patients to health-care workers happened there. But it's too soon to conclude that, said WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl, who noted the health-care workers and the patients could have been infected for a common — and as yet unidentified — source.

"Even if the cases in Jordan were human-to-human spread — and we don't know that — it wasn't sustained," Hartl said in an interview from Geneva. He noted that there has been no sign of spread to health-care workers in Saudia Arabia or Qatar, the two other countries that have had cases, nor in London or Germany, where two of the cases have been treated.

Hartl said with cases popping up over large distances in three different countries, and over months, much work remains to be done to figure out what is going on. "There are a lot of holes still to be filled in," he said.

The WHO has asked countries to be on the lookout for possible cases in people with unexplained severe infections who have recently returned from or lived in countries in the Arabian Peninsula, or surrounding countries.

To date the case count is as follows: Jordan, two, both fatal; Saudi Arabia, five, three fatal and Qatar, two.

A report on the outbreak — noted in a weekly disease report from the European Centre for Disease Control in May — said seven nurses and a doctor were among 11 cases identified in the outbreak at a hospital in Zarqa, Jordan.

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Controversial HIV study begins in Montreal

Montreal researchers are rounding up possible recruits for a controversial study on HIV that has already made headlines overseas.

A team of researchers is seeking the help of up to 400 HIV-negative gay men to determine whether an anti-retroviral drug could prevent the disease's spread by being ingested up to two hours before or up to a day after having sexual intercourse.

Dr. Cécile Tremblay, an infectious disease specialist at the Université de Montréal, said the medical world is not doing enough to fight the disease.

"I am not satisfied with the status quo, I am not satisfied with what exists right now because we are not moving forward with this goal of eradicating HIV transmission," she said.

Thirteen per cent of gay men in Montreal are HIV-positive, said Tremblay

Methodology

Researchers will study about 400 men who are at high risk of contracting the disease. This means men with multiple partners, who work in the sex industry or whose partners are HIV-positive.

A three-year study conducted in South America and Thailand, which evaluated the effectiveness of a drug taken once every day, showed a 43.8 per cent reduction in the spread of HIV.

In the first study of its kind in North America, Tremblay will be testing the drug Truvada. Instead of taking a pill every day for the rest of their lives, people in the study will take it only when needed.

The research methods are controversial because half of the study's participants will be taking a placebo and there is fear they could be lulled into a false sense of security and stop using condoms.

Dr. Tremblay said other trials have shown people tend to keep themselves protected.

"That's always a worry," she said. "But what we've seen so far in other trials is that it hasn't been the case."

Tremblay said people will be given counselling to support them and encourage them to wear protection.

Researchers emphasize this drug is not meant to be a replacement for condoms but should be considered as an added tool of prevention.

The research will be conducted in two stages.

First, 100 participants will be enrolled in Montreal, another 200 in Paris.

Researchers will then consider adding more people in both cities.

IPERGAY hopes to study an additional 1,600 candidates in France, Canada and other countries.

Trial overseas

The Montreal trial is part of an on-going study in Paris – a city considered to be a hotspot in the fight against AIDS – and is funded by the French National Agency for AIDS Research.

Tom Craig, who is taking part in the French study in Paris, said men should take it upon themselves to participate in the research.

"We have to take an active part in what's going to happen in the future, not just politicians or governments. It's up to us. This is why I am in the study," he said.

IPERGAY Trial (PDF)
IPERGAY Trial (Text)

For more information about the IPERGAY study and to participate call: 514-890-8000 ext: 15195

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Aboriginal HIV infections a growing problem in Canada

Aboriginal AIDS activists in Canada say they are trying to lower the high rate of HIV infections among First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

The Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network is launching a national awareness campaign in Winnipeg on Saturday — to coincide with World AIDS Day — with the goal of reducing the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.

"We need to say to our own community, 'Listen to the messages about HIV and AIDS. Protect yourself. Go get a test if you put yourself at risk,'" said Art Zoccole, president of the network's board.

"These are our future generations, and there is a responsibility of us in the aboriginal community to take care of each other and [get] everybody involved."

While First Nations, Métis and Inuit people represent 3.8 per cent of Canada's population, they account for 7.5 per cent of Canadians living with HIV, according to 2006 census figures.

As well, aboriginal people accounted for 12.5 per cent of all new HIV infections in Canada in 2008, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

That all means the HIV infection rate for aboriginal Canadians was 3.6 times higher than the rate for other Canadians in 2008.

The federal health agency says injection drug use is the main way aboriginal people get exposed to HIV, and the number of cases continues to rise, especially among women.

Risky lifestyles

Research is underway to find out why the infection rate is so high, but there is concern that an alarming number of aboriginal Canadians are engaging in risky lifestyles.

The agency has found that aboriginal HIV cases attributed to injected drug use has gone up to more than 50 per cent in the period spanning 2001 to 2008 from 18 per cent before 1995.

Brenda Pelletier says her family has withdrawn from her since she was diagnosed with HIV about 12 years ago. She is now speaking to aboriginal communities about HIV and AIDS. (Karen Pauls/CBC)

Brenda Pelletier, 60, of Winnipeg said she contracted HIV 12 years ago after she shared drug paraphernalia with a friend who she knew was HIV-positive.

"I didn't think anything of it — like, you know, sharing — because when they said, 'Use clean needles,' I just thought, 'Hmm, OK, clean needle, I got one,'" she recalled. "Four days after that, my friend died."

Pelletier said since she was diagnosed with HIV, she has been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia, tuberculosis and other ailments.

Zoccole said more education is needed on how the virus is contracted, how people can protect themselves, and how people should get tested.

The theme of the network's Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week campaign this year is "Getting to Zero," which means zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero cases of discrimination against people with HIV and AIDS.

Workshops on aboriginal HIV and AIDS issues will be held in Halifax, Regina, Toronto, Iqaluit and Victoria in the coming days as part of the campaign.

Ottawa investing in programs

Zoccole, who has had HIV for eight years and currently heads up the Toronto-based group Two-Spirited People of the First Nations, said there are very few agencies that provide services for HIV-positive aboriginal people in large cites.

There are even fewer resources for those in small and remote First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, he added.

"It's concerning," said federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

Aglukkaq said the federal government is investing in research, education and treatment programs, including a Health Canada project to develop aboriginal-language terminology concerning HIV and AIDS.

"We have translated a number of terms to the appropriate language of the aboriginal population," she said.

Aglukkaq said while the availability of HIV- and AIDS-related services in remote communities is an issue, there are hospitals in a number of areas that can provide treatment.

"Education is fundamental in getting to the bottom of this, and we have to work in partnership with the community to educate young people," she said. "But it has to be done in partnership with the community."

Stigma remains in some communities

But Zoccole said sometimes those very communities are part of the problem.

"There's still stigma and discrimination. So when that happens, sometimes, the result is that the person living with HIV and AIDS needs to move and relocate to a place that's safe for them," he said.

Art Zoccole of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network says some people don't know what a female condom is, or how it could help women protect themselves from HIV infection. (Karen Pauls/CBC)

"They almost get ostracized from their communities, and it's very unfortunate … Aboriginal people need to take a greater stand against, you know, this kind of discrimination that we're doing to our own family and in our own community. It's not right."

Pelletier said her own family has withdrawn from her, with some members even changing their phone numbers.

"They dumped me. They didn't want nothing to do with me," she said. "You feel like you're not good enough to be with people, unless they are HIV [positive] too."

But Pelletier said she is trying to be part of the solution by taking part in a speaking tour organized by a non-profit aboriginal service agency in Winnipeg.

"I go into communities and I talk and I'll tell them how I got it, if they ask," she said. "I hope that they have listened."

Pelletier and others say the best way to stem the rise in HIV and AIDS cases among aboriginal people is by teaching young people — in a culturally appropriate way — how to protect themselves.

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Listeria scare prompts Costco veggie burger recall

The Veggie Patch brand Ultimate Meatless Burger is being pulled off store shelves because of possible Listeria contamination.

The affected product was imported from the United States and sold in one kilogram packages with two best before dates —Jan. 12 and 17, 2013 (UPC 6 10129 08477 7).

It was distributed in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.

The importer, Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., has recalled the burgers and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is monitoring the recall.

There have been no reports of any illnesses being linked to the product.

Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk.

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New respiratory virus caused infections in Jordan

The World Health Organization has reported two additional cases of infection with the new coronavirus, the earliest on record.

The agency says retrospective testing of stored samples show two people who died in Jordan in April were infected with the virus, which is from the same virus family as SARS.

It isn't known if the cases in Jordan were spread person-to-person but if so, it wasn't sustained, says WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Prior to this the first known case had been a man from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who fell ill and died in June.

The new report from the WHO brings to nine the number of confirmed infections with the new virus, of which five cases have been fatal.

When it came to light that a new coronavirus was causing severe human illnesses in the Middle East, questions were raised about an outbreak of severe pneumonia cases that had occurred in Jordan in April.

At the time health officials were not able to diagnose what was causing the illnesses, but stored samples from two of the patients tested positive recently for the new coronavirus.

In a statement issued Friday, the WHO says Jordan's ministry of health has asked the global health agency for assistance in investigating the infections.

Health-care workers infected

A team from WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office and from WHO headquarters arrived in the Jordanian capital, Amman on Wednesday to help with studies aimed at trying to trace the source of infection and strengthen capacity to spot new cases.

A potentially worrisome aspect of the Jordanian outbreak is that it involved health-care workers. Health-care workers can be unwitting sentinels in disease outbreaks, picking up infections from patients that they treat. If health-care workers become infected, that can often — though not always — be a sign a pathogen can spread from person to person.

To date there has been no sign of sustained person-to-person spread of the virus, though there was a recent cluster of three and possibly four family members who got sick in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two of them died.

The Jordanian cases may signal spread from patients to health-care workers happened there. But it's too soon to conclude that, said WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl, who noted the health-care workers and the patients could have been infected for a common — and as yet unidentified — source.

"Even if the cases in Jordan were human-to-human spread — and we don't know that — it wasn't sustained," Hartl said in an interview from Geneva. He noted that there has been no sign of spread to health-care workers in Saudia Arabia or Qatar, the two other countries that have had cases, nor in London or Germany, where two of the cases have been treated.

Hartl said with cases popping up over large distances in three different countries, and over months, much work remains to be done to figure out what is going on. "There are a lot of holes still to be filled in," he said.

The WHO has asked countries to be on the lookout for possible cases in people with unexplained severe infections who have recently returned from or lived in countries in the Arabian Peninsula, or surrounding countries.

To date the case count is as follows: Jordan, two, both fatal; Saudi Arabia, five, three fatal and Qatar, two.

A report on the outbreak — noted in a weekly disease report from the European Centre for Disease Control in May — said seven nurses and a doctor were among 11 cases identified in the outbreak at a hospital in Zarqa, Jordan.

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Obese kids' brains may respond more to food logos than normal weight children

Children who are obese may be more vulnerable to food advertising, a brain scanning study suggests.

Food and beverage companies market to children to establish brand recognition, brand preference and loyalty. Previous studies found preschoolers said foods tasted better wrapped in branded packaging than plain packaging and kids were more likely to try to influence their parents' purchases when exposed to ads.

Researchers in the U.S. suspected that children who are obese would show greater activation to food logos in the "drive" regions of the brain compared with healthy weight children.

Amanda Bruce of the psychology department at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and her colleagues looked at 10 healthy children and 10 obese children aged 10 to 14 using questionnaires measuring self-control and functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain activity.

Other corporate logos and blurred images were also tested.

Obese children showed more activation in some reward regions of the brain than the healthy weight children when shown food logos. But that wasn't the case for the control regions of the brain.

"When shown food logos, obese children showed significantly less brain activation than the healthy weight children in regions association with cognitive control," the study's authors concluded in Friday's issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.

"This provides initial neuroimaging evidence that obese children may be more vulnerable to the effects of food advertising."

The reward areas that were activated weren't the ones common in published research. Rather, the regions were found in older structures like the midbrain, Bruce's team said.

The researchers noted that a recent study of adults who had bariatric surgery for weight loss showed decreased activation in the midbrain in response to pleasurable food images, which those investigators thought might be related to changes in how patients perceive the reward value of food after surgery.

Bruce and her co-authors said their neurorimaging data complement the findings of behavioural studies that suggested obese children ate significantly more calories of brand-name foods compared with unbranded items, which wasn't the case in normal weight children.

They cautioned that the study was small and the findings should be considered preliminary.

In brain scanning studies, decreased brain activation does not necessarily mean the region is working less since reduced activation occasionally shows more efficient processing. But in this case, the self-reported impulsivity scores corroborated the fMRI findings.

The research was supported by the University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute's Clinical Pilot Program.

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Controversial HIV study begins in Montreal

Montreal researchers are rounding up possible recruits for a controversial study on HIV that has already made headlines overseas.

A team of researchers is seeking the help of up to 400 HIV-negative gay men to determine whether an anti-retroviral drug could prevent the disease's spread by being ingested up to two hours before or up to a day after having sexual intercourse.

Dr. Cécile Tremblay, an infectious disease specialist at the Université de Montréal, said the medical world is not doing enough to fight the disease.

"I am not satisfied with the status quo, I am not satisfied with what exists right now because we are not moving forward with this goal of eradicating HIV transmission," she said.

Thirteen per cent of gay men in Montreal are HIV-positive, said Tremblay

Methodology

Researchers will study about 400 men who are at high risk of contracting the disease. This means men with multiple partners, who work in the sex industry or whose partners are HIV-positive.

A three-year study conducted in South America and Thailand, which evaluated the effectiveness of a drug taken once every day, showed a 43.8 per cent reduction in the spread of HIV.

In the first study of its kind in North America, Tremblay will be testing the drug Truvada. Instead of taking a pill every day for the rest of their lives, people in the study will take it only when needed.

The research methods are controversial because half of the study's participants will be taking a placebo and there is fear they could be lulled into a false sense of security and stop using condoms.

Dr. Tremblay said other trials have shown people tend to keep themselves protected.

"That's always a worry," she said. "But what we've seen so far in other trials is that it hasn't been the case."

Tremblay said people will be given counselling to support them and encourage them to wear protection.

Researchers emphasize this drug is not meant to be a replacement for condoms but should be considered as an added tool of prevention.

The research will be conducted in two stages.

First, 100 participants will be enrolled in Montreal, another 200 in Paris.

Researchers will then consider adding more people in both cities.

IPERGAY hopes to study an additional 1,600 candidates in France, Canada and other countries.

Trial overseas

The Montreal trial is part of an on-going study in Paris – a city considered to be a hotspot in the fight against AIDS – and is funded by the French National Agency for AIDS Research.

Tom Craig, who is taking part in the French study in Paris, said men should take it upon themselves to participate in the research.

"We have to take an active part in what's going to happen in the future, not just politicians or governments. It's up to us. This is why I am in the study," he said.

For more information about the IPERGAY study and to participate call: 514-890-8000 ext: 15195

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Aboriginal HIV infections a growing problem in Canada

Aboriginal AIDS activists in Canada say they are trying to lower the high rate of HIV infections among First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

The Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network is launching a national awareness campaign in Winnipeg on Saturday — to coincide with World AIDS Day — with the goal of reducing the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths.

"We need to say to our own community, 'Listen to the messages about HIV and AIDS. Protect yourself. Go get a test if you put yourself at risk,'" said Art Zoccole, president of the network's board.

"These are our future generations, and there is a responsibility of us in the aboriginal community to take care of each other and [get] everybody involved."

While First Nations, Métis and Inuit people represent 3.8 per cent of Canada's population, they account for 7.5 per cent of Canadians living with HIV, according to 2006 census figures.

As well, aboriginal people accounted for 12.5 per cent of all new HIV infections in Canada in 2008, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

That all means the HIV infection rate for aboriginal Canadians was 3.6 times higher than the rate for other Canadians in 2008.

The federal health agency says injection drug use is the main way aboriginal people get exposed to HIV, and the number of cases continues to rise, especially among women.

Risky lifestyles

Research is underway to find out why the infection rate is so high, but there is concern that an alarming number of aboriginal Canadians are engaging in risky lifestyles.

The agency has found that aboriginal HIV cases attributed to injected drug use has gone up to more than 50 per cent in the period spanning 2001 to 2008 from 18 per cent before 1995.

Brenda Pelletier says her family has withdrawn from her since she was diagnosed with HIV about 12 years ago. She is now speaking to aboriginal communities about HIV and AIDS. (Karen Pauls/CBC)

Brenda Pelletier, 60, of Winnipeg said she contracted HIV 12 years ago after she shared drug paraphernalia with a friend who she knew was HIV-positive.

"I didn't think anything of it — like, you know, sharing — because when they said, 'Use clean needles,' I just thought, 'Hmm, OK, clean needle, I got one,'" she recalled. "Four days after that, my friend died."

Pelletier said since she was diagnosed with HIV, she has been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia, tuberculosis and other ailments.

Zoccole said more education is needed on how the virus is contracted, how people can protect themselves, and how people should get tested.

The theme of the network's Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week campaign this year is "Getting to Zero," which means zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero cases of discrimination against people with HIV and AIDS.

Workshops on aboriginal HIV and AIDS issues will be held in Halifax, Regina, Toronto, Iqaluit and Victoria in the coming days as part of the campaign.

Ottawa investing in programs

Zoccole, who has had HIV for eight years and currently heads up the Toronto-based group Two-Spirited People of the First Nations, said there are very few agencies that provide services for HIV-positive aboriginal people in large cites.

There are even fewer resources for those in small and remote First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, he added.

"It's concerning," said federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

Aglukkaq said the federal government is investing in research, education and treatment programs, including a Health Canada project to develop aboriginal-language terminology concerning HIV and AIDS.

"We have translated a number of terms to the appropriate language of the aboriginal population," she said.

Aglukkaq said while the availability of HIV- and AIDS-related services in remote communities is an issue, there are hospitals in a number of areas that can provide treatment.

"Education is fundamental in getting to the bottom of this, and we have to work in partnership with the community to educate young people," she said. "But it has to be done in partnership with the community."

Stigma remains in some communities

But Zoccole said sometimes those very communities are part of the problem.

"There's still stigma and discrimination. So when that happens, sometimes, the result is that the person living with HIV and AIDS needs to move and relocate to a place that's safe for them," he said.

Art Zoccole of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network says some people don't know what a female condom is, or how it could help women protect themselves from HIV infection. (Karen Pauls/CBC)

"They almost get ostracized from their communities, and it's very unfortunate … Aboriginal people need to take a greater stand against, you know, this kind of discrimination that we're doing to our own family and in our own community. It's not right."

Pelletier said her own family has withdrawn from her, with some members even changing their phone numbers.

"They dumped me. They didn't want nothing to do with me," she said. "You feel like you're not good enough to be with people, unless they are HIV [positive] too."

But Pelletier said she is trying to be part of the solution by taking part in a speaking tour organized by a non-profit aboriginal service agency in Winnipeg.

"I go into communities and I talk and I'll tell them how I got it, if they ask," she said. "I hope that they have listened."

Pelletier and others say the best way to stem the rise in HIV and AIDS cases among aboriginal people is by teaching young people — in a culturally appropriate way — how to protect themselves.

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Surgery infections cut with simple steps

Preventing surgery-linked infections is a major concern for hospitals and it turns out some simple measures can make a big difference.

A project at seven big hospitals reduced infections after colorectal surgeries by nearly one-third. It prevented an estimated 135 infections, saving almost $4 million, the Joint Commission hospital regulating group and the American College of Surgeons announced Wednesday. The two groups directed the 2 ½-year project.

Changing gowns, gloves and instruments during operations prevented the spread of germs. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

Solutions included having patients shower with special germ-fighting soap before surgery, and having surgery teams change gowns, gloves and instruments during operations to prevent spreading germs picked up during the procedures.

Some hospitals used special wound-protecting devices on surgery openings to keep intestine germs from reaching the skin.

The average rate of infections linked with colorectal operations at the seven hospitals dropped from about 16 per cent of patients during a 10-month phase when hospitals started adopting changes to almost 11 per cent once all the changes had been made.

Hospital stays for patients who got infections dropped from an average of 15 days to 13 days, which helped cut costs.

"The improvements translate into safer patient care," said Dr. Mark Chassin, president of the Joint Commission. "Now it's our job to spread these effective interventions to all hospitals."

Almost 2 million health care-related infections occur each year nationwide; more than 90,000 of these are fatal.

Besides wanting to keep patients healthy, hospitals have a monetary incentive to prevent these infections. Medicare cuts payments to hospitals that have lots of certain health care-related infections, and those cuts are expected to increase under the new health care law.

The project involved surgeries for cancer and other colorectal problems. Infections linked with colorectal surgery are particularly common because intestinal tract bacteria are so abundant.

To succeed at reducing infection rates requires hospitals to commit to changing habits, "to really look in the mirror and identify these things," said Dr. Clifford Ko of the American College of Surgeons.

The hospitals involved were Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles; Cleveland Clinic in Ohio; Mayo Clinic-Rochester Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minn.; North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, NY; Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago; OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill.; and Stanford Hospital & Clinics in Palo Alto, Calif.

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Babies born to moms from Philippines may be misclassified

Babies born to mothers from the Philippines are more likely to be wrongly labeled as underweight compared with other babies, an Ontario study suggests.

When newborns are deemed lower weight, they may be considered at higher risk of developmental issues and doctors may follow them more closely compared with heavier babies the same age.

Health care workers should keep in mind weight differences for infants of mothers born in the Philippines, doctors in Toronto say. (Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)

In the November online issue of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada, Dr. Joel Ray of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto and his co-authors concluded about nine in every 100 baby boys of mothers from the Philippines were misclassified as being small for gestational age using conventional weight curves.

For girls, the risk was about seven per cent.

The researchers checked the records of 548,418 single births in Ontario between 2002 and 2007, including more than 15,000 babies born to mothers from the Philippines.

"Infants of mothers born in the Philippines weigh significantly less than those of Canadian-born women or mothers emigrating from other East Asian countries," the study's authors concluded. "Those who use birth weight curves should consider these differences."

The investigators took maternal age and the number of times a woman has given birth into account in their analysis.

Earlier research has indicated that Filipino children have the highest rates of being both underweight and of small stature compared with other East Asians and Pacific Island group, the researchers added.

East Asians are the fastest-growing immigrant group in Canada.

The research team previously published birthweight curves for newborns of seven different maternal ancestries.

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