In May 1996, I posted to LACTNET concerning a situation in the church
daycare my son attends.  Timothy was about 15 months then.  I was told that
any child receiving breastmilk would have to drink it from a bottle instead
of a sippy cup due to health concerns for the other children.  We were not
real pleased about this having gotten past the bottle stage.  After talking
to the daycare director, I learned that this recommendation had come from
the state health department.  I presented the daycare director with lots of
information I had gotten in response to my LACTNET message, including CDC
guidelines concerning breastmilk, and how special precautions are not
necessary even though breastmilk is a body fluid.  I also called the state
health department and sent them copies of the information.  As a result,
Timothy was able to continue drinking from sipper cups.  You might even
consider offering to give a seminar on handling and health benefits of
breastmilk.  Often these situations arise from the fears of the daycare
workers.  If you can educate the daycare workers, it may help future moms.
I know the daycare workers at my son's daycare are required to get
continuing education, so they may jump at the chance of getting an
in-service lecture.  Good luck.

Donna


Donna J. Spannaus-Martin, Ph.D., MT (ASCP)
Assistant Professor, Clinical Laboratory Sciences,
University of Tennessee, Memphis
http://www.utmem.edu/allied/Med.Tech./med.tech.html