title: Tongue-tie division to treat breastfeeding difficulties: our experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the benefits of frenotomy on breastfeeding in infants, and determine the influence of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A telephone questionnaire of all patients diagnosed with tongue-tie over 12 months was conducted pre-intervention and 1-month post-intervention. The Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool was used to assess breastfeeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 54 infants diagnosed with tongue-tie, 78 per cent of mothers participated in the survey. Eighty-six per cent of patients underwent frenotomy, with no surgical complications. In the frenotomy group, 81 per cent of mothers reported improvement in breastfeeding, versus 17 per cent in the non-surgical group (p = 0.0074). In the frenotomy group, the mean (±standard deviation) Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool score was 3.33 ± 1.51 pre-intervention, versus 9.19 ± 2.44 post-intervention (p = 0.0001). In the non-surgical intervention group, the mean score (±standard deviation) was 4.17 ± 0.75 pre-intervention, versus 6.00 ± 1.73 post-intervention (p = 0.16). For infants who underwent frenotomy, there was a reported improvement in 94 per cent of those aged less than 30 days, versus 68 per cent in infants aged over 30 days (p = 0.092).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frenotomy is a safe, short procedure that improves breastfeeding outcomes, and is best performed at an early age.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Whipps Cross Hospital,London,UK.
authors: S D
authors: SD
authors: Sharma
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology,Whipps Cross Hospital,London,UK.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Jayaraj
mesh_terms: D000072676:Ankyloglossia; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008035:Lingual Frenum / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009056:Mouth Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Ankyloglossia; Breast Feeding; Tongue Tie