Baby given to wrong mom at Minneapolis hospital

Published On: Dec 07 2012 07:00:08 AM CST   Updated On: Dec 07 2012 07:00:00 AM CST
Breast-feeding
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -

Officials at a Minneapolis hospital are trying to figure out how a newborn baby boy was mistakenly given to the wrong mother and briefly breast-fed.

The mix-up happened Wednesday at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

Hospital spokeswoman Gloria O'Connell tells the Star Tribune it's apparently the first time it's ever happened at Abbott.

O'Connell declined to release any details because of patient confidentiality. But she calls it "very serious business" and promises "there will be consequences."

All newborns and mothers at Abbott are given matching hospital ID bracelets. The hospital spokeswoman says staff members are supposed to routinely check that the IDs match "at every step" but "apparently somebody didn't follow procedure."

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