Use of healthcare failure mode and effect analysis (HFMEA) to quantify risks of the human milk feeding process

The complexity of the expressed breast milk feeding process in the neonatal intensive care unit was not fully appreciated until we used a healthcare failure mode and effect analysis. This approach identified latent risks and provided semiquantitative estimates of the effectiveness of recommendations. Findings demonstrated nursing interruptions and multitasking requirements contributed to risk, emphasizing the need for focused and isolated expressed breast milk handling to improve patient safety and outcomes.