A hospital trust has had to apologise after a baby received the breast milk of another mother multiple times whilst under its care.
Melissa and Callum, the child’s parents, expressed disappointment with the care received by their son, Milo, at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and Leicester General Hospital (LGH) after his premature birth at 26 weeks.
The problems occurred in March of 2024, when Milo was fed breast milk stored from a different mother on three different occasions.
The trust responsible for both hospitals, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), has since apologised, whilst also confirming that changes in procedure had been put in place.
Milo’s mum, Melissa, said:
“Milo was fed another mother’s breast milk, not just once, but three times.”
“I was terrified he might contract an infection. There are so many risks with other people’s bodily fluids.”
Melissa stated that the experience was traumatic, causing her significant anxiety – so much so that her own natural milk supply dwindled as a result.
She explained that the incorrect milk, which was administered to Milo via an oral syringe from a bottle, was incorrectly labelled with two names – one being Melissa’s and a second name belonging to another mother on the ward. The hospital later concluded that the milk administered was not Melissa’s.
However, upon questioning hospital staff, she received ‘unsettling’ responses regarding Milo’s future care during rounds on the ward.
Melissa explained:
“A consultant told me we were being transferred to LGH because the junior staff were afraid to approach me due to my frequent questions.”
“Throughout our time there, I was repeatedly labelled as angry, unapproachable, and scary.”
UHL later issued an apology, admitting that staff “lacked the skills” to fully support her. After several weeks at LGH, Melissa noticed that Milo showed signs of illness.
X-rays and sepsis screenings were carried out, which all came back clear.
However, on May the 25th during a staff handover, she heard nurses talking about disposal of breast milk that had been defrosted more than 72 hours earlier. This went against NHS guidelines recommending that defrosted milk be used immediately.
Melissa recounted:
“I confronted the doctor who conducted the screenings, asking if the milk could be the cause of Milo’s symptoms. His non-committal response only reinforced my belief that the milk had been used the night before.”
Responding to Milo’s case, UHL announced the undertaking of a broader review of its procedures relating to the handling of breast milk.
Eventually, Milo was transferred to Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham for further care, before being discharged on the 7th of July.
Julie Hogg, UHL’s chief nurse, said:
“We deeply regret that Milo and his family did not receive the standard of care we aim to provide and for the distress they endured as a result.”
“We have thoroughly investigated their concerns, made procedural changes, and shared these lessons with both the staff involved in Milo’s care and the wider department.”
“This includes improvements in how we store, label, and check breast milk.”
“I want to thank Milo’s family for bringing these issues to our attention, which has led to positive changes in our practices and how we engage with families.”
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