Study Protocol Evaluating Breastfeeding for Mother-Infant Dyads Experiencing Infant Ankyloglossia

Area of Science:

• Lactation and infant feeding
• Pediatric medicine
• Surgical interventions

Background:

• Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is linked to nipple pain and premature breastfeeding cessation.
• Existing research on tongue-tie's impact on infant feeding is limited by small sample sizes.
• Evidence on tongue-tie's effects on breastfeeding mechanics and infant feeding symptoms is scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a study protocol investigating infant feeding, breastfeeding symptoms, maternal anatomy, and sucking mechanics in infants with and without tongue-tie.
• To compare feeding parameters between infants with and without tongue-tie.
• To evaluate changes in these metrics after frenotomy in tongue-tied infants.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study design.
• Three visits over 8 weeks for mothers and infants.
• Comparison groups: infants with tongue-tie (pre- and post-frenotomy) and age-matched infants without tongue-tie.

Main Results:

• This study is currently ongoing, with data collection in progress.

Conclusions:

• Tongue-tie is a common issue requiring clear treatment guidelines.
• This multidisciplinary research aims to address critical knowledge gaps regarding tongue-tie's physiological and functional impact on breastfeeding.
• Findings are expected to inform clinical decisions and improve interventions for tongue-tie.