NHS apology after baby given wrong breast milk

NHS issues apology after baby is given the wrong breast milk. Learn more about the incident and the response from health officials

Hospital Trust Apologizes After Premature Baby Is Given Wrong Breast Milk

 

A hospital trust has issued an apology to the parents of a premature baby who was mistakenly fed another mother's breast milk on three separate occasions. The incident occurred during the care of Milo, a baby born at 26 weeks in March, at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and Leicester General Hospital (LGH).

 

Melissa and Callum, Milo's parents, expressed their deep concern and distress over the repeated errors during their son's treatment. The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), which operates both hospitals, has since acknowledged the mistake and apologized to the family, committing to changes in its procedures.

 

Melissa recounted her shock and anxiety upon discovering that Milo had been fed breast milk from another mother. "Milo received another mother's breast milk. Not for one feed, not even for two, but for three feeds," she said. The situation caused her significant stress, impacting her own milk supply. "I thought, what if he's got an infection from it? Because there's so many unknowns with other people's bodily fluids," she added.

 

The error was discovered when milk fed to Milo via a syringe was found to have dual labeling—one for Melissa and another identifying it as belonging to a different mother on the ward. The hospital later confirmed that the milk did not belong to Melissa.

 

In addition to the milk mishap, Melissa shared her frustration with the communication and support she received from the medical staff. She described being labeled as "angry, unapproachable, and scary" for asking questions about her son's care. UHL later admitted that its staff "did not have the skills" to fully support her needs during this challenging time.

 

Concerns escalated further when Melissa overheard nurses discussing breast milk that had been defrosted for more than 72 hours—a practice not recommended by the NHS. She questioned whether this mishandling could have contributed to Milo showing signs of illness, though medical staff were unable to provide a definitive answer.

 

Julie Hogg, chief nurse at UHL, expressed regret over the family's experience. "We are truly sorry that Milo and his family did not receive the quality of care and support we strive to provide and for the distress they have experienced as a result," she said. The trust has since reviewed its breast milk handling procedures and implemented improvements in storage, labeling, and verification processes.

 

Milo was eventually transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham, where he received further treatment before being discharged on July 7.

 

The trust has emphasized that the lessons learned from Milo's case have led to positive changes that will benefit other families in the future.