forum

A community forum looked at the serious issue of Prenatal Exposure to Substances on Tuesday.

We told you earlier about the rise in babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in North Bay – with 22 born in 2012/2013 and 48 born in 2014/2015.

Executive Director of the Children’s Aid Society of Nipissing and Parry Sound Gisele Hebert says they hope some of the prevention can come through the awareness of those figures.


She says the forum was attended by over 100 professionals in the community, “which is a true testament of the fact it is a very serious issue in the community and professionals want to address it.”

Hebert says they will look at developing a way to better serve youth who are at risk of substance use and abuse.

She says they need to look at different pathways to help mothers who are pregnant and substance using; as well as parenting mothers who are substance using.