I am way behind in answering my mail.  It is not cheaper to use a new kit
each time a mother pumps.  The kits are expensive.  Mothers pump sereral
times a day sometimes.  Especially with baby in NICU.   We give one kit
to the mother.  She washes her kit with hot soapy water and rinses it
with hot water, lets it dry on a clean paper towel in a basin that is
provided to her by the hospital.  She puts another clean papertowl over
top the kit until the next use.  Breasts are not sterile and therefore we
do not require mothers to sterilize the kit.  They only wash the part of
the kit that touches the milk.  We have had no increase in infection in
out hospital with this practice.  It is approved by the infection control
division and the neonatologists as well as the breastfeeding resource
team ( a team of RNs who work on the floors and help support the
Lactation process and Lactation Consultants.

Hope this helps.
Darlene Breed, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Coordinator, Milk Bank/Breastfeeding Center
Worcester, MA
Worcester, MA (USA)

On Wed, 7 Jul 1999 06:58:24 EDT [log in to unmask] writes:
>In a message dated 7/7/99 12:10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
><< I would like to know how others =
> sterilize electric breast pump parts when they are used in hospital
>when =
> a mother is pumping her milk for her premature infant.  At present in
>=
> our facility, these mothers use a new breast pump setup each time
>they =
> pump and the parts are then sent to central processing for =
> sterilization.   >>
>
>What is the problem with using a new kit each time? Does the hospital
>wash
>bottles each time the baby is fed ABM? Wouldn't it be less costly to
>use a
>new kit instead of spending the money, personnel and time  on sending
>it to
>central processing for cleaning and processing?
>You have to think also about storage space for the kits between
>pumping also.
>Of course when mom goes home she probably washes it by hand with dish
>detergent if she doesn't  have a dish washer.
>Just my thoughts.
>
>Barb Whitehead, IBCLC
>Ayden NC
>
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