>From the new (1997) LLLI Breastfeeding Answer Book, p. 215:

"Both the US Centers for Disease control (1988) and the Occupational
Safety and health Administration (OSHA) agree that human milk is not
among the body fluids that require rubber gloves for handling and feeding
or require storage in a separate refrigerator as a biohazardous material.
 Although concerns have been raised in some areas about the need to use
universal precautions for bloodborne pathogens with human milk, as of
this writing US federal health agencies do not deem this necessary or
beneficial."

I once attended a lecture about using universal precautions w/breast milk
and was horrified that this nurse felt human milk was this hazardous and
dangerous.  She even felt encouraging mothers to pump for their
critically ill babies in the NICU was unacceptable "given the risks of
human milk."  :-p  Sure wish this had been published then!
Karen Zeretzke
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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