Children's Aid SocietyA community forum is taking place today (Tuesday) at Nipissing University.

It’s on the rise of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

These are newborns who were exposed to addictive opiate drugs while in the mother’s womb.

The Executive Director of the Children’s Aid Society of Nipissing and Parry Sound Gisele Hebert says the forum will take place at 1 pm in the Fedeli room at the University.

She says they’re seeing more Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome kids from 22 in 2012/13 to 48 in 2014/15 in North Bay.

She says many of the kids are being seen at Children’s Aid.

Hebert says the focus of the forum is to engage community partners in the development of pathways so that services for women and children can be improved.