Dunedin Hospital has changed its policy on feeding mothers of sick babies and will not discriminate between those who breast-feed and those who do not.
Southern District Health Board deputy chief nursing and midwifery officer Tina Gilbertson said the "flawed" policy was changed last Friday when the DHB became aware of a problem.
A woman whose child was in the hospital's paediatric ward was upset breast-feeding mothers were offered meals while others were not.
She contacted TV3's Campbell Live, and the issue was aired on the show on Friday.
Ms Gilbertson said the policy, in place since about 2004, was a well-intentioned effort to support breast-feeding. To her knowledge, the DHB had not received a complaint previously.
"We got it wrong, we are remedying it, and we apologise to any parents who may have been caused distress as a result of this policy," she said.
Ms Gilbertson said a wider policy review was now under way to update the DHB's policy on feeding parents of small children.
