Drug-addicted babies on the rise in North Bay

North Bay has seen a major increase in the number of babies born addicted to drugs, the Nipissing and Parry Sound Children's Aid Society says.

The number has more than doubled since 2012, executive director Gisele Hbert told CBC News.

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"In 2014/15 there were 48 babies born with what we call neonatal abstinence syndrome," Hbert said Thursday. "And that's a difference of, in 2012-13 we saw 22 of those babies, so it's more than doubled. And only in January we saw 10 of those babies born."

The skyrocketing numbers are putting a strain on her organization, Hbert said.

"So, very, very concerning," Hbert said. "We've seen a lot of these children coming into the care of the society. But this became a huge crisis for us as an organization in January because we exhausted all our foster homes here in North Bay."

Sudbury and Timmins are also seeing major increases, Hbert said.

The babies are born to mothers addicted to illicit drugs such as cocaine and prescription drugs such as Oxycontin. Recovering addicts enrolled in methadone programs also give birth to addicted babies.

Hbert said the best hope for stopping the increase is in preventing the addictions in the first place. That means sending professionals into the community to deal with at-risk youth in particular.