Low weight birth rate is higher in Toronto than rest of Ontario.

Reports by Toronto Medical Officer David McKeown indicate that the city's low birth weight rate is significantly higher than the Ontario rate. This rate varies across the city with much higher rates found in the north west and east regions of Toronto.

"The health of young children is influenced by multiple, interacting determinants that affect children directly or through their families, neighborhoods and social and physical environments". Dr. McKeown, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, said as he presented reports to the Board of Health on child health in Toronto.

* a steady increase in the proportion of mothers giving birth after age 35; more babies are being born to women over 40 than to women under 20;

* one in four children experience parental separation before age six;

* 57% of young children in lone parent households live in poverty;

* 64% of young children in families headed by parents under 25 live in poverty;

* parents in low income households were three times more likely to report poorer health of their children;

* parents not born in Canada were twice as likely to report poorer health;

* almost two thirds of babies in Toronto were born to women born outside of Canada; more than 30,000 babies were born in 2003;

* 90% of mothers breastfeed their infants after birth, only 20% are exclusively breastfeeding after six months;

* one in six households with young children experienced at least one indicator of children's food insecurity related to household income;

* Almost one in five lower income households reported not being able to provide their children with a balanced meal during the past year.

The report calls on the Minister of Children and Youth Services integrate food security activities into Ontario's Best Start strategy and that work be undertaken to develop a Canadian Children's Food Bill.

Dr. McKeown's recommends include: that Ontario improve data collection and develop indicators to measure child health determinants and outcomes; and that the Public Health Agency of Canada develop indicators to promote healthy breastfeeding standards; and to collaborate with key stakeholders to address disparities in low birth weight across Toronto.