Daycare Gives Baby Wrong Breast Milk. Is This Really So Bad?

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A mom in South Carolina says she went into “hysterics” when her infant son’s daycare called to break this news: Her baby was accidentally fed breast milk from another mother.

The upset mother, who uploaded her story to Reddit on Wednesday with the user name “Ferret Miracles,” says a new daycare employee thought her baby was someone else. When the employee realized her mistake, everyone monitored the baby’s breathing and temperature to make sure he wasn’t ill as a result, and apologized profusely.

“I realize he will most likely be fine, but I know nothing about this other woman and her health or habits,” Ferret Miracles wrote. “People do things that aren’t in the best interest of their children, addictions are common in our area. I would totally let him have milk from a person I know and trust, but the fact that it was a stranger gives me the heebee jeebs. I also agree that if it were my milk that was given to someone else I would be upset. it’s hard work pumping enough for the day!”

The post generated 150 comments and sparked a lively debate on the health hazards (or lack thereof) of a baby ingesting another mother’s milk. “Ever hear of a wet nurse? Honestly, it’s less dangerous than a kid consuming a handful of dirt, pool water, cat litter, or any of the other disgusting things our children can and often will put in their mouths,” wrote one commenter named Print Error. Wrote Wildfire9: “It was obviously an accident and your boy will be fine. It’s gross for sure but it’s definitely not the worst thing to happen.”

Others found the idea upsetting. “On the flip side of it, as a pumping mother who barely gets enough out for my baby, I would be so upset if any ounce went to anyone else,” wrote Tercerero. And Lg2685 wrote, “What if it was medicine and not breast milk? It’s serious that there was mistaken identity.”

Fortunately, the mother who had her breast milk consumed was not a smoker or a carrier of HIV, hepatitis, or any other illness that can be transmitted through breast milk and she agreed to be re-screened to put everyone’s mind at ease, according to the Reddit post. The daycare also implemented a new feeding policy that required babies to wear name tags when a new staff member or volunteer is working. Ferret Miracles says she’s satisfied with the outcome.

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Breastfeeding is an personal act and in this scenario, both mothers have cause for concern. The baby who drank from the wrong bottle may have been on a special diet whereby foreign milk could have caused a serious, adverse reaction. There’s also an emotional side to this — some women find the idea of their child drinking milk from another woman icky at best, invasive at worst. And either way, consent wasn’t given. The mom whose milk was drunk by another baby now has to share her personal medical information and both bottles of milk, which were painstakingly pumped, most likely went to waste.

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The biggest question is, what are the health dangers of drinking from the wrong bottle? “The main infections to be concerned about are HIV, active tuberculosis, and a rare virus called the T-cell lymphocytic virus,” Hilary Gerber, MD., an OBGYN in Florida, tells Yahoo Parenting.

If a baby does drink another woman’s breast milk, both mothers involved should be notified, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). What’s more, the one whose milk was consumed should take an HIV test and be willing to share the results. That said the risk of HIV transmission is low because the medical community discourages women who are HIV-positive from breast feeding in the first place.

The bottom line: A regrettable accident, but the baby will probably be fine.