Policies about infant feeding need to be scrutinised for unintentional harmful messages. 

Any policy should be the same whether the mistake was formula given instead of breastmilk or another mother’s milk given: education and appropriate reassurance. In fact, I would be far more concerned to culture the formula than to worry about the donor breastmilk. The transfer of infectious agents via breastmilk is a necessary part of milk’s lifelong immunisation. The presence of infectious agents in always non-sterile powdered formula poses far greater risks. There is no need for more care with breastmilk than with formula: what about the possibility of mix-ups there, with allergic babies now on a wide variety of mixtures, many after having reacted badly to some that other babies may well be drinking? What exactly does testing the mother achieve, when the dose in her milk is buffered by so many immune agents that it is vanishingly unlikely to cause harm? what message does it give that 2 people should ensure no breastmilk mixups, but only one is needed to prepare (safer/cleaner/less risky) formula? Put this into historical context: women have been milk-sharing since time immemorial, and the wider the baby’s exposure  the richer its immune repertoire. 

Let’s model what feeding products are of concern by what we do about such (inevitable) incidents. 





> On 2 Sep 2015, at 2:01 pm, LACTNET automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> 
> I wouldn't downplay the mother's concerns.  The daycare facility should
> have a policy on this, and if they don't, they really should write one.
> Obviously, things like this happen.  They also should have a policy on how
> breastmilk is given, just like hospitals do, and have 2 employees double
> check that the correct milk is being given.

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