Viewers of a recent episode of “The Office” found humor in the scene when character Pam Halpert mistakenly nursed another new mother’s baby in a dark hospital room.  In real life, a new mother didn’t find the mistake quite so funny.

Jennifer Spiegel, a Chicago-area mother, is suing Evanston Hospital after a nurse mistakenly brought the wrong day-old baby boy to her room at 4 a.m. Spiegel and her husband are seeking at least $30,000 in damages and think the hospital should be held responsible for the mix-up.

“And we hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” said Spiegel, a teacher.

Lawrence Gartner, the former head of pediatrics at the University of Chicago, said it would be unusual if it affected the mother-child bond.  “In animals, they’re often very specific — mothers will only accept their own babies, but I don’t know that humans have any such characteristic,” said Gartner, who works with the La Leche League, a worldwide breast-feeding support organization.

Amy Ferguson, spokeswoman for the hospital, said the corporate office had not been notified of the lawsuit and had no comment.

—Source:  The New York Times