title: Real-time 3D ultrasound imaging of infant tongue movements during breast-feeding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether infants use suction or peristaltic tongue movements or a combination to extract milk during breast-feeding is controversial. The aims of this pilot study were 1] to evaluate the feasibility of using 3D ultrasound scanning to visualise infant tongue movements; and 2] to ascertain whether peristaltic tongue movements could be demonstrated during breast-feeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  15 healthy term infants, aged 2 weeks to 4 months were scanned during breast-feeding, using a real-time 3D ultrasound system, with a 7 MHz transducer placed sub-mentally.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1] The method proved feasible, with 72% of bi-plane datasets and 56% of real-time 3D datasets providing adequate coverage [>75%] of the infant tongue. 2] Peristaltic tongue movement was observed in 13 of 15 infants [83%] from real-time or reformatted truly mid-sagittal views under 3D guidance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to demonstrate the feasibility of using 3D ultrasound to visualise infant tongue movements during breast-feeding. Peristaltic infant tongue movement was present in the majority of infants when the image plane was truly mid-sagittal but was not apparent if the image was slightly off the mid-sagittal plane. This should be considered in studies investigating the relative importance of vacuum and peristalsis for milk transfer.
authors.affiliation: Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Daren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Mary S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fewtrell
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009068:Movement; D010528:Peristalsis; D013391:Sucking Behavior; D014059:Tongue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Breast-feeding; Mechanism; Peristalsis; Three-dimensional (3D); Tongue movement; Two-dimensional (2D); Ultrasound