Breastfeeding Improvement Following Tongue-tie and Lip-tie Release

The Oregon Clinic

Status: Completed

Conditions: Ankyloglossia; Breastfeeding

Treatments: Procedure: Lingual Frenotomy and/or maxillary labial frenectomy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02642133

TOC ENT

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is an observational study to determine outcomes of surgical release of tongue-tie and lip-tie in babies who are experiencing difficulty with breastfeeding.

Full description

Breastfeeding rates in the United States initiate at around 80%, but many mothers are unable to effectively breastfeeding because of problems with latch and suction generation. Previous studies have demonstrated how nipple pain is directly linked to ankyloglossia, but most of these studies are done with poor methodology.

Clinically, tongue-tie and lip-tie have correlate with numerous other symptoms besides nipple pain. These babies tend to be inefficient nursers, which can affect weight gain. Abnormal intake of air because of the poor latch/seal can lead to reflux symptoms. Finally, there is a significant psychological toll on mothers who want to breastfeed but cannot do so.

This study aims to prospectively analyze these outcomes by using validated tools.

Enrollment: 237 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 1 day to 12 weeks old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy babies who are breastfeeding 0-12 weeks of age

Exclusion criteria

• Serious comorbid conditions (heart, lung, brain)
• Prior maternal breast surgery
• Insufficient glandular tissue
• Previous tongue/lip surgery
• Twins/Triplets

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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237 participants in 1 patient group

Intervention

Other group

Description:

All patients were in the same arm - this is a cohort study where the group serves as their own control. Patients who did not undergo the procedure were not included in this outcomes study.

Treatment:

Procedure: Lingual Frenotomy and/or maxillary labial frenectomy