A Tennessee hospital performed a minor surgery on the wrong infant, People reports.

Jennifer Melton said she thought doctors were taking her newborn son Nate for a typical exam, “checking blood-type, weight gain, that type of thing.” But the day after Nate was born, a physician at University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tennessee mistakenly asked for Nate and performed a “tongue-clipping” surgery that was supposed to happen to another baby.

The operation is called a frenulectomy, and is meant to remove tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Melton said she noticed speckles of blood under his tongue and it was discovered that her son had undergone the unnecessary procedure. “The pediatrician explained to me that he had accidentally asked for the wrong child, and performed the surgery on Nate by mistake,” Melton said. “He said he was sorry for what had happened, but that Nate would be fine and that ‘he didn’t even cry that much during the surgery.’ ”

Melton is considering legal action. Read more at People.

Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at letters@time.com.