Tongue-Tie in Newborns can Hinder Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months for newborns in order to provide the requisite nutrition as well as confer innate immunity from diseases. However the presence of a condition called ankyloglossia in newborns can hinder this process.

Also called tongue-tie, this condition results in the tongue being fixed to the base of the moth making suckling difficult. A new study has indicated that simple snip to release the tongue can help tackle the problem.

University of Florida (UF) neonatologist and study co-author Sandra Sullivan said that despite its simplicity and major benefits on breastfeeding, many doctors hesitate to perform this procedure.

"It is called a frenotomy, and it is far simpler than a circumcision, which we do fairly routinely," she added. "It literally takes longer to fill out the consent form for the procedure than to do the actual procedure itself."

The details of the study appear in the journal Pediatrics.




Source: Medindia