title: Geographic origin and risk for congenital infection in a Canadian inner city: findings and implications for policy.
abstract: This study examines associations between geographic origin and risk for congenital infections, through a chart review of women from the St. James Town area of Toronto delivering at Wellesley Hospital in 1996. Foreign-born women (n = 203) were significantly less likely than Canadian-born women (n = 53) to be HBsAg negative (187/193 vs. 48/48; RR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-0.99). There was no significant difference in rubella seronegativity, but rubella immunity was unacceptably low in both groups (less than 90%). A number of rubella non-immune women had delivered previously in Canada. Procedures must be implemented to ensure completion of hepatitis B immunization series in affected newborns, and rubella immunization in seronegative women prior to discharge. As well, updating immunization status most become a routine part of the immigration medical examination.
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Residency Program, Wellesley Central Hospital, University of Toronto. david.grossman@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hans
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glazier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000151:congenital*; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014504:Urban Health