this is rather an aside to carol's comments and questions about possibly
tainted milk used for preemies, etc., but i want to point out something i have
observed in the NICU i have spent so much time at lately (gabriel's home at
last! free! yeah). when the mother was still an inpatient, she was given a
pump, no instructions or help with the pumping (no special instructions as are
clearly mentioned in Riordan & Auerbach, for example), and her pump kit, and
told to rinse the pump kit parts in hot water in the sink after using! she was
there for four or five days, never once did anyone do anything else to those
pump parts. how can you insist on ultra-cleanliness in the NICU and be
concerned about possible contamination of the milk and not do something to
keep the equipment clean? when she was discharged i told her to go home and
boil them once a day, and sent them home to be boiled once before that as
well.

anyone else out there see this problem? what do other hospitals do about this,
i intend to make some suggestions.

carol brussel IBCLC