Maternal Experiences and Challenges in Breastfeeding Infants with Tongue-Tie: A Systematic Review

Tongue-tie, clinically referred to as ankyloglossia, is a common condition characterized by an unusually short lingual frenulum and is associated with breastfeeding difficulties. Mothers of infants with tongue-ties are at increased risk of not only painful breastfeeding and poor latching, but also increased maternal stress and decreased maternal-infant bonding. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the literature on maternal experiences and wellbeing while feeding infants with tongue-ties.

We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE for relevant articles. Keywords "maternal experience" and "tongue-tie" were among those used. An independent review was conducted by two authors, and studies were included if they reflected maternal experiences beyond breastfeeding outcomes.

We found 8 studies, including qualitative and quantitative studies, that described maternal experiences with breastfeeding tongue-tied infants. All studies noted an increase in physiologic symptoms such as nipple pain and bleeding, as well as psychological symptoms including stress and strained relationships.

Our systematic review indicates that women breastfeeding infants with tongue-ties are at increased risk of breastfeeding complications which can result in maternal stress, frustration, and impaired mother-infant bonding. Early evaluation of tongue-tie as a potentially significant contributor to breastfeeding complications and early intervention is important in these mothers and would likely decrease these negative effects described. Further research is needed to determine which populations are most likely to benefit from early intervention and how to best address the issue.