Harm Reduction
Strategies
Did you Know?
Breastfeeding

 

Project Partners:

  • Family Services Thunder Bay

  • St Joseph’s Care Group -Sister Margaret Smith Centre

  • Thunder Bay District Children’s Aid Society

  • Rural Family Resource Centre/Ontario Early Years Centre

  • Crossroads Centre Recovery Homes

  • Thunder Bay District Health Unit - Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program

  • Dilico Ojibway Child and Family Services

 

  

Harm Reduction Strategies

It is essential to understand alcohol and drug use in the context of other risk factors in a pregnant woman’s life.  Examples of harm reduction strategies for pregnant women include:

  • To reduce (if they can’t stop) their use of alcohol,

  • To stop, or reduce the use of any or all other drugs being used with alcohol,

  • To access good prenatal care and health care overall in a holistic way

  • To eat well during pregnancy.  Improving a woman’s nutritional status as well as her access to prenatal health care means that her baby is less likely to be affected by prenatal substance use,

  • To reduce their stress and/or stabilize their living situation.
     

Caution: For pregnant women who are tolerant and dependent on alcohol, opiates and benzodiazepines, abrupt reduction or cessation of use is not recommended. Any reduction or cessation by a pregnant woman of use of alcohol, opiates or benzodiazepines should be done under the supervision of a physician familiar with withdrawal management.

Source: FAS Community Action Guide (1998). BC FAS Resource Society,
BC Ministry for Children and Families, ISBN 0-7726-3483-1
 
 
 


The Pregnancy & Health Community Outreach Project is funded by the Federal Government Early Years Initiatives - Early Childhood Development Initiative for Addiction Programs - Ministry of Health and Long Term Care – Addictions and Mental Health Branch
 

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Revised: 01/13/05