(newspaper item on a hospital's system for tracking pumped breast milk of
NICU moms)



http://www.tribstar.com/features/local_story_226211154.html





They have bar codes on everything else, why not breast milk? Specifically,
the bottles the breast milk is pumped into.

Union Hospital's new automated system, called NICU Tracer, uses a handheld
scanner to print a label, and match up the identification bands on the mom,
infant and container label to ensure that the proper breast milk is given to
the proper infant.

Besides making sure the right baby gets the right milk, the system
automatically tracks and audits feedings, provides inventory control and
saves time.

While most babies born at Union Hospital are breast-fed, there are some
instances where that isn't possible, such as when the baby is born
prematurely, says Dena Cochran, nursing care manager.

"The best thing for the baby is breast milk," Cochran explains. "We get all
breast-feeding moms pumping [if their baby cannot breast-feed immediately].
We want the mom's milk to come in."

Union saves every drop the mother can pump, including the nutrient-rich
colostrum, which is produced during the first few days of breast-feeding.

When Mom hands over the bottle of breast milk, a label is affixed to it with
a bar code that matches that of mom and baby.

"It's worked very well, Cochran says. "We're always looking for ways to
improve patient safety."



(that's the whole item)



Janice Reynolds


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