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NEWS MUMS GIVEN WRONG BABIES TO BREASTFEED IN NSW

Babies were potentially exposed to serious health risks when a NSW hospital mix-up saw newborns given to the wrong mothers to breastfeed.

Seven babies were affected by the incidents, which occurred in public hospitals between 2011 and 2015, but the NSW government has admitted that more babies could have been impacted because it does not have records for the private system, The Daily Telegraph reports.

NSW Health has not revealed the hospitals where the mix-ups occurred.

As well as the risk of transmitting diseases through breast milk the mothers could have also been left distressed.

Opposition Health Spokesman Walt Secord called the situation “every new mum’s worst nightmare” and called on the government to release the names of the hospital’s responsible.

“The community has a right to know. This is the human cost of the massive cuts to the health and hospital system,” he said.

Western Sydney University Professor of midwifery Hannah Dahlen said the risk of diseases being transmitted through breastmilk was low but the psychological impact cold be significant.

“It can be everything from ‘oh my God, I was feeling connected and attached to this child that wasn’t mine, what kinds of mother am I?,'” Professor Dahlen said.

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2 Comments

  1. My daughter was given the wrong child to feed she still has nightmares about she was so shaken up she just wanted to leave the hospital it is really upsetting it was just swept under the rug my daughter was horrified they even made her speak to the parents of the child that was put on her breast she had no support

  2. I think it’s a sign of a completely selfish and individualistic society when a mother would have guilt feelings for feeling a connection with another woman’s baby. Fair enough there may be some very “low” health risks but apart from that I could think of much worse that could happen. For many many years women often shared mothering including breastfeeding and it’s probably a common practice across the world still. Perhaps less media hype required here! First world problems…

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