Leicester: NHS apology after child given mistaken breast milk

A hospital belief has apologised to the mother and father of a child who was given one other mom’s breast milk after being born prematurely.

Melissa and Callum say they had been “let down repeatedly” throughout their son Milo’s therapy at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and Leicester Common Hospital (LGH).

Milo, who was born at 26 weeks in March, was fed saved breast milk from a lady who was not his mom on three events.

College Hospitals of Leicester NHS Belief (UHL), which runs the hospitals the place Milo was handled, apologised to his mother and father and mentioned adjustments had been made to its processes.

Melissa mentioned: “Milo obtained one other mom’s breast milk. Not for one feed, not even for 2, however for 3 feeds.”

This led Melissa to change into so anxious “that my milk provide became nothing”.

“I assumed, what if he is bought an an infection from it? As a result of there’s so many unknowns with different individuals’s bodily fluids.”

The milk was fed to Milo by means of a syringe, from a bottle which had two labels on it – one for Melissa, and one figuring out it because the milk of one other mom on the ward.

The hospital later discovered that the milk was not Melissa’s.

Melissa mentioned that she confronted unusual solutions to questions she requested throughout ward rounds about Milo’s future therapy.

She mentioned: “I used to be instructed by a guide that we had been going to be moved to LGH as a result of ‘the junior members of her crew had been afraid to strategy me as a result of I ask too many questions’.

“This wasn’t the primary time in our weeks there I used to be referred to as offended, unapproachable and scary.”

UHL later instructed Melissa it was sorry its employees “didn’t have the talents” to help her totally.

After being at LGH for a number of weeks, Melissa mentioned Milo was “actually displaying indicators of being unwell”.

Milo had X-rays and a sepsis screening, which got here again clear.

Nevertheless, at a employees handover on 25 Could, she heard nurses saying they’d solely simply disposed of breast milk which had been defrosted greater than 72 hours earlier.

The NHS recommends defrosted breast milk is used instantly.

Melissa mentioned: “I stormed right down to the physician that had carried out the screenings and X-rays and requested if that was inflicting his signs, to which he mentioned ‘I can not say sure and I can not say no’, which supplies me sufficient of a solution; I imagine this breast milk had been used the night time earlier than.”

UHL mentioned it was finishing up a wider evaluate of how breast milk is dealt with, because of Milo’s care.

After being transferred to the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham for additional therapy, Milo was finally discharged on 7 July.

Julie Hogg, chief nurse at UHL, mentioned: “We’re actually sorry that Milo and his household didn’t obtain the standard of care and help we try to offer and for the misery they’ve skilled because of this.

“We now have totally investigated their issues and made adjustments to our processes, together with sharing the educational with colleagues concerned in Milo’s care and the broader division.

“This consists of making enhancements for storing, labelling, and checking breast milk.

“I want to thank Milo’s household for elevating the issues, which have instantly influenced constructive adjustments in our practices, and the best way we work together with households.”

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