Healthcare teams should make case-by-case assessments to determine whether a woman’s environmental exposure, her own medical condition, or the medical condition of the infant warrants her to interrupt, stop, or never start breastfeeding (CDC, 2023).
Education and communication are crucial to providing safe feedings of expressed breast milk (EBM). Staff knowledge of EBM management is essential to maintain a reliable system. Mothers require education at the time of admission, with emphasis on the importance of following labeling and storage directions for EBM. Additionally, mothers need basic instruction in how to safely express or pump their milk, as well as guidelines for storage, including transporting EBM.
Considering the thousands of feedings delivered and the multiple steps in handling EBM, relatively few occurrences in which a baby received the wrong EBM have been reported through PA-PSRS as of a 2007 published analysis. However, when an event occurs, staff and parents experience anxiety. Implementing a standardized approach to the management of EBM mistakes can provide comfort and reassurance. Nurses can be knowledgeable of the risks to the infant, as well as testing to be performed.
