Long-term efficacy of a tongue tie service in improving breast feeding rates: A prospective study

Post Frenotomy Massage for Ankyloglossia in Infants-Does It Improve Breastfeeding and Reduce Recurrence?

OBJECTIVES

Frenotomy is performed in breast fed infants who experience difficulty in latching after failed conservative management for ankyloglossia or tongue-tie. Though parents sometimes enquire about massage after frenotomy, neither published evidence nor clinical consensus supports this. The aim of our study was to assess if there was significant difference in breast feeding or recurrence rate between those infants who had post frenotomy massage and those who did not.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary Children's hospital from January 2018 to December 2018. The tongue-tie service consisted of five pediatric surgical consultants, three of whom routinely advice post frenotomy massage. As a result, we had two groups to compare -massage and non-massage group. Total sample size (n = 599) consisted of those who were advised massage (n = 282) and those who were not advised massage (n = 317).

RESULTS

Overall recurrence rate was 4/599 (0.66%) and this did not achieve statistical significance between the two groups. Breast feeding rates were also similar in both the groups. However, it is interesting to note that only 43.5% of those advised massage adhered to the massage regimen.

CONCLUSIONS

Improvement in breast feeding and recurrence after frenotomy were similar between massage and non-massage groups. This confirms the lack of any additional benefit of post frenotomy massage. This study assists clinicians with decision making not to advise massage as it is unlikely to benefit infants with tongue-tie.

Diagnosis of ankyloglossia in newborns: is there any difference related to the screening method?

PURPOSE

To diagnose ankyloglossia in newborns and compare two lingual frenulum assessment instruments.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, in 2018, with 147 mothers/newborns aged up to 30 days. The Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool and the Lingual Frenulum Evaluation Protocol for Infants were the instruments used. Sociodemographic data were also recorded. The two ankyloglossia diagnostic methods were compared using the McNemar test, obtaining the kappa agreement value and the confidence interval.

RESULTS

Ankyloglossia was present in 4.8% when diagnosed with the Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool, and in 17.0% with the Tongue-Tie Test. Regarding sex, 53.1% of the newborns were males and 46.9% were females; however, there was no association between ankyloglossia and the newborn's sex in either of the assessment methods.

CONCLUSION

The ankyloglossia diagnosis in newborns varied depending on the assessment instrument used.

Relationship between Breastfeeding Difficulties, Ankyloglossia, and Frenotomy: A Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

Breastfeeding plays a key role in the development of the baby, in addition to the benefits to the mother and this dyad. Among the possible difficulties in this process, we have ankyloglossia. Some professionals opt for the frenotomy, although the literature is controversial. This paper aims to present how the literature provides subsidies for health professionals' decision and action in the intersection of the themes: breastfeeding, ankyloglossia, and frenotomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research on the platforms SciELO and PubMed used the terms: "ankyloglossia," "frenotomy," and "lingual frenulum" and the same ones associated with "breastfeeding." A specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied and validated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to reduce any bias in the analysis. In the end, 16 papers were included and, by thematic equivalence, divided into two domains: association between lingual frenulum alteration and breastfeeding and between frenotomy and breastfeeding.

RESULTS

The literature does not assure that the frenotomy is the "standard conduct" to be adopted in cases of difficulty in breastfeeding and ankyloglossia.

CONCLUSION

Further studies are needed on the different types of ankyloglossia and their direct influence on the sucking function and lactation difficulties.

Comparison of Frenotomy Techniques for the Treatment of Ankyloglossia in Children: A Systematic Review

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of conventional (CF), laser (LF), and Z-plasty (ZF) frenotomies for the treatment of ankyloglossia in the pediatric population.

Data Sources

A comprehensive search of PUBMED, EMBASE, and COCHRANE databases was performed.

Review Methods

Relevant articles were independently assessed by 2 reviewers according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results

Thirty-five articles assessing CF (27 articles), LF (4 articles), ZF (3 articles), and/or rhomboid plasty frenotomy (1 article) were included. A high level of outcome heterogeneity prevented pooling of data. All 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were of low quality. Both CF (5 articles with 589 patients) and LF (2 articles with 78 patients) were independently shown to reduce maternal nipple pain on a visual analog or numeric rating scale. There were reports of improvement with breastfeeding outcomes as assessed on validated assessment tools for 88% (7/8) of CF articles (588 patients) and 2 LF articles (78 patients). ZF improved breastfeeding outcomes on subjective maternal reports (1 article with 18 infants) only. One RCT with a high risk of bias concluded greater speech articulation improvements with ZF compared to CF. Only minor adverse events were reported for all frenotomy techniques.

Conclusions

Current literature does not demonstrate a clear advantage for one frenotomy technique when managing children with ankyloglossia. Recommendations for future research are provided to overcome the methodological shortcomings in the literature. We conclude that all frenotomy techniques are safe and effective for treating symptomatic ankyloglossia.

Is the Occurrence of Ankyloglossia in Newborns Associated with Breastfeeding Difficulties?

Background: Ankyloglossia is characterized by abnormal tongue movements that can possibly interfere with breastfeeding due to incorrect latching, pain, nipple fissure, and ineffective suction. Objective: To determine the prevalence of ankyloglossia in newborns and its association with exclusive breastfeeding and early breastfeeding difficulties. Materials and Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in seven public maternity hospitals in the city of Recife, PE, Brazil. The study sample consisted of 822 mothers/newborns of both genders. The diagnosis of ankyloglossia was confirmed by comparing two previously standardized and validated lingual frenulum assessment tools. Information on the mother's socioeconomic profile and breastfeeding difficulties were also collected. The data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence of ankyloglossia was 2.6% when using the Bristol Tool and 11.7% with the Assessment Tool for Lingual Frenulum Function (Neonatal Tongue Screening Test-NTST). The agreement between the two assessment tools was 2.2%, with a significant difference between them (p < 0.001). There was an association between the occurrence of ankyloglossia and breastfeeding difficulties (odds ratio = 1.99), but no association with exclusive breastfeeding practice was found. Conclusions: The diagnostic tools used herein revealed different prevalence rates of ankyloglossia in newborns. This condition was associated with breastfeeding difficulties, and the NTST was more effective in determining such an association.

Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding: what is the evidence of association between them?

ABSTRACT Purpose: to investigate the scientific evidence, in the literature, of the relationship between ankyloglossia and breastfeeding difficulties. Methods: an integrative review of the literature. The MEDLINE and PubMed databases were searched, using the following descriptors in combination: "ankyloglossia", "newborn" and "breastfeeding". The searches included articles published between 2014 and 2019, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Original articles demonstrating an association between ankyloglossia and breastfeeding issues were selected. Results: a total of 31 articles was fully read in the analysis, 22 of which were excluded and 9 included in the review. There was a diversity of instruments used for the diagnosis of ankyloglossia. In four studies, no standardized evaluation instrument was used for the diagnosis of ankyloglossia, which may limit the analysis of the results. However, most studies have evidenced a possible influence of ankyloglossia on breastfeeding. According to the studies, babies with altered lingual frenulum were more likely to experience difficulties in sucking, showing early weaning, which shows the importance of neonatal screening as a routine protocol in maternity hospitals for the cases of ankyloglossia. Conclusions: ankyloglossia may be related to impaired breastfeeding. The standardization of instruments for the diagnosis of ankyloglossia is necessary to improve the evidence in future research.