Breast Milk Policies: MIX UP!

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2004

We check blood because getting the wrong type could kill you. Very slim chance that getting the wrong breast milk will do that.

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Nov 13, 2004

I really have to respectfully disagree there. How would you feel if you gave some kid the wrong boobie juice and later find out that the mom is indeed infected with something? That kid may not die right then and there, but later on down the road, who knows? Or a mom who previously had a negative tox and starts on doing the drugs and someone else's baby gets that? Body fluid is body fluid..at least we screen blood..we don't screen moms breastmilk that they pump, although, sometimes I think we should!

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2004

Very slim chance

truern · Nov 13, 2004

My "baby" is now 26, but after she was born she stayed in the intensive care nursery on a vent. Since we had no idea how long she'd stay on it, and I wanted to breastfeed if at all possible, I pumped my breasts and they stored it for me.

When it became apparent that she'd be on the vent for quite some time, babies in that nursery were given my breastmilk. I felt like it was a special gift and the moms that couldn't breastfeed for whatever reason were appreciative. Not one thought it was nasty.

lifeLONGstudent · Jan 16, 2005

We check blood because getting the wrong type could kill you. Very slim chance that getting the wrong breast milk will do that.

I disagree. The "slim chance" attitude is niave. At least with blood products the donors are rigorously screened and TESTED! If your liver enzymes are elevated, but have no positive infectious diseases test results, your blood is tossed and you might be temporarily deferred from donating for 3 to 6 months. IF you have visited a country (we 'visited' Costa Maya for a cruise - were there all of 4 hours one day), you could be deferred for up to a year (both hubby and I are not allowed to donate for 11 more months).

And, at my hospital, we did have this mix up. The nurses gave the wrong breast milk to an infant (don't know particulars of how it happened), but this should be a SENTINAL event (potential to cause harm). Breast milk is a body fluid, capable of transmitting disease. The mother who "donated" the milk had to be stuck as the "source" for a blood/BF exposure. At least with a blood product transfusion, the patient signs a release stating that s/he is aware that transmission of disease is a possibility. I don't think you require such a waiver for a mother who pumps for her own hospitalized infant... or do you?

My hospital better be glad this did not happen to my baby. It IS a big deal, and should not be regarded lightly.

-lifeLONGstudent.

(sorry if this is harsh...it is a sensitive subject to me)

nekhismom · Jan 16, 2005

current place of employment, two RN's check the container to verify the pt's name and sign off on the flowsheet. Previous place of employment, there were no double checks in place.

premies_4_40yrs · Jan 17, 2005

Our policy is similar, Br.Mlk. lables placed by the mother only, stored in the refrigerator in small plastic baskets labeled with the baby's name. The container is brought to the bedside by the nurse, I.D. band and lable checked by second nurse; and the flow sheet signed. We are allowed to have the mother be the second person to I.D. the milk, if she is at the bedside. I like the idea of the colored dots on top of the containers in the refrigerator. It would make it easier to spot the basket you're looking for instead of trying to read all the small lables on the baskets, as we do.

neonursey · Jan 17, 2005

That is so interesting, to sign on a flowsheet, i really think i will suggest that at work, cause our policy needs to be reinforced. At our hospital we ARE supposed to have two nurses check the name of the baby with the baby's ID at the bedside, but HARDLY any one does it!!! Myself and ONE other nurse are the only ones that do check to my knowledge. I think having people sign on a flowsheet would be ALOT safer, thanks for the idea!!

As far as the rest of our breastmilk policy goes, we store the breastmilk in a freezer (fridge freezer) in the breastpump room, where the bottles are labeled with the time, date and name of the baby, by mom, and placed in its own box with the baby's name on it, donated by pharmacy. The milk in that freezer is only good for two weeks, so bottles are placed with most recent towards the back so the oldest is used first.

If the parents dont have a deep freezer at home, we store it for them in our own freezer room (dedicated for breastmilk) in the kitchen on the main floor, where it may be stored for up to 6 months. (Also easier if we run out of breastmilk on the floor-then we dont have to call the parents to bring in some of their own)

Good luck!

Jolie, BSN · Jan 19, 2005

We once had a mom who brought in a home made cheesecake for the nursing staff. Fortunately, I'm not a fan of cheesecake, and passed. Those who ate it later learned that it was made of breastmilk. YEEAACCHH!

That's got to be the equivalent of feeding a baby the wrong milk.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jan 19, 2005

We once had a mom who brought in a home made cheesecake for the nursing staff. Fortunately, I'm not a fan of cheesecake, and passed. Those who ate it later learned that it was made of breastmilk. YEEAACCHH!

That happened on our unit too! I forget what it was, some kind of baked good, just not cheesecake.

:uhoh3:

lifeLONGstudent · Jan 20, 2005

That happened on our unit too! I forget what it was, some kind of baked good, just not cheesecake.

note to self: NEVER eat food from the patients (or just ask everyone, "ummm was this made with breastmilk?"....naa dont risk it... just say no).

JVanRN · Jan 20, 2005

We once had a mom who brought in a home made cheesecake for the nursing staff. Fortunately, I'm not a fan of cheesecake, and passed. Those who ate it later learned that it was made of breastmilk. YEEAACCHH!

Ewwwww...gross.