Baby breast-fed by wrong woman at hospital

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., April 7 (UPI) -- A baby breast-fed by the wrong mother at a New Hampshire hospital is being tested to make sure the newborn girl did not pick up any infections.

The girl was taken to the wrong room at Portsmouth Regional Hospital about two weeks ago, WMUR-TV in Manchester reported Monday.

The father, who wanted to be identified only as Mark, said a nurse appears to have made a mistake reading his daughter's identification bracelet. He said she is being tested for viruses, including hepatitis and human immunodeficiency virus, which can lead to AIDS.

"It's a sick feeling," he said. "I don't know the word other than it physically makes you sick."

Dr. Jason Emmick, director of pediatrics at Elliott Hospital, told the TV station the risk of infection from breast-feeding is low. He said there is the risk, however, that the other mother could have been taking either legal or illegal drugs, but even in that case the risk of harm to a baby from a single breast-feeding is low.