Can Infants With Short Tongue-Tie Be Successfully Breastfed?

Abstract

Short tongue-tie (Ankyloglossia, linguistic frenilum) is a congenital condition that is characterized by an abnormally short, thickened or tight lingual frenulum which restricts the movements of the tongue.¹ Short tongue-tie is a potential cause of breastfeeding difficulties since it restricts the movement of the tongue. It has been reported that 25% to 80% of the infants with short tongue-tie have breastfeeding difficulties. In recent years, increased importance given to breastfeeding has resulted in an increased interest in functional short tongue-tie, which is one of the problems experienced in breastfeeding.² According to the results of the Canadian Academy of Pediatrics (CAP) in 2015, the incidence of short tongue-tie in newborns ranges from 4.2% to 10.7%.