Anquiloglosia en el lactante amamantado. Puesta al día / Ankyloglossia in breastfeeding infants. An update

El frenillo lingual corto, o anquiloglosia, puede generar problemas durante la lactancia con repercusión en el desarrollo del lactante, daño en el pezón de la madre y abandono precoz de la lactancia. Actualmente no existe homogeneidad en los criterios diagnósticos, lo que ocasiona tanto sobrediagnóstico como infradiagnóstico de esta alteración, con las consecuencias clínicas que ello conlleva. La dificultad en el abordaje radica en saber cuándo se trata de variantes anatómicas normales o de un frenillo lingual sin repercusión funcional, y cuándo los problemas de lactancia, que clásicamente se le atribuyen se deben realmente al frenillo. Alrededor del 50 % de los niños con frenillo lingual corto no presenta problemas de lactancia o estos se resuelven con apoyo y asesoramiento. En el resto de casos se puede recurrir a tratamiento quirúrgico. En este artículo se ha realizado una actualización de la clasificación y tratamiento de la anquiloglosia que permitirá a los profesionales un manejo adecuado de estos pacientes

Short frenulum, or ankyloglossia, may lead to breastfeeding problems, with an impact on infant development, nipple damage, and early abandonment of breastfeeding. There are currently no homogeneous diagnostic criteria, thus leading to both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis and associated clinical consequences. The challenge to approach this condition lies in establishing whether it is a normal anatomical variation or a lingual frenulum without a functional impact and when breastfeeding difficulties which are typically attributed to it are actually caused by the frenulum. Approximately 50 % of ankyloglossia cases do not result in breastfeeding problems or these can be resolved with support and advice. Surgery may be proposed for the rest of the cases. This article offers an update on the classification and treatment of ankyloglossia, which will help health care providers to provide an adequate management to these patients

Ankyloglossia Identification, Diagnosis, and Frenotomy : A Qualitative Study of Community Referral Pathways.

BACKGROUND: Researchers and practitioners continue to debate the most appropriate assessment, diagnostic, and treatment practices for ankyloglossia (tongue-tie). Health care workers struggle to provide evidence-based care in the absence of consistent standards. RESEARCH AIM: The aims of this pilot study were to qualitatively (a) evaluate the knowledge of, and attitudes toward tongue-tie and (b) describe how they shaped referral pathways and the establishment of practice patterns of frontline practitioners (pediatric dentists, speech-language pathologists, pediatric chiropractors, and International Board Certified Lactation Consultants). METHODS: We recruited clinicians (N = 9) using nonprobability purposive sampling. Participants were interviewed using survey schedules adjusted to reflect their specialty area. Semistructured interviews were transcribed and coded using manual and inductive coding techniques common in grounded theory. Themes were iteratively developed using memoing techniques, in which observations and potential concepts were recorded using the aforementioned codes. RESULTS: Participants were familiar with a variety of protocols and assessment tools, but did not consistently use them. No formal training about the management of tongue-tie was received through their degree programs. Instead they pursued self-guided study. Interprofessional consensus guided opinions about tongue-tie best practices, and referral pathways reflected these consensuses. International Board Certified Lactation Consultants were viewed as pivotal to the care of infants with tongue-tie while primary care physicians-primarily pediatricians-were omitted from referral pathways. CONCLUSION: Lack of formalized training, professional consensus about best practices, and insufficient resources for assessing and treating tongue-tie led participants to incomplete referral pathways and personal interpretations of the data through the lens of anecdotal evidence.

Ankyloglossia: Last three-years of outpatient care at a tertiary referral center.

INTRODUCTION: Ankyloglossia is an oral anomaly characterized by a shortened, thickened lingual frenulum that may cause reduced tongue mobility. However, the diagnosis and management of this condition has long been a debated topic. Given the paucity of high level evidence, management can be frustrating for both families and clinicians. Our study aims to examine differences in the management of ankyloglossia and investigate influencing factors at a single tertiary pediatric referral center. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed of children less than one year of age seen in the outpatient otolaryngology clinic. Billing records were searched for ICD-9 code 750.0 (ankyloglossia) between January 2, 2015 and October 9, 2017 and data extracted from the charts of those meeting inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of 266 charts were reviewed that met the inclusion criteria during the study period. 100 (38%) were female with a mean age of 2.9 months. In the final multivariate regression model, children seen by providers in Group 1 (providers with high rates of frenotomies) had 4.4 times the odds of having a frenotomy as those seen by a provider in Group 2 (providers with low rates of frenotomies) (p < 0.001, 95%CI: 2.2, 8.9), and male children had 2.5 times the odds of having a frenotomy as female children (p = 0.002, 95%CI: 1.4, 4.5). CONCLUSION: In this study we identify additional variables that may influence the decision to perform a frenotomy in children with ankyloglossia. The significant impact of clinician biases in the management of ankyloglossia suggests arbitrary differences in the way these patients are managed, highlighting the lack of consensus amongst otolaryngologists and the need for clear indications and diagnostic criteria.

Home-Based Interventions in a Case of First Latch at 27 Days.

In this article, I describe the effects of home interventions on latching difficulty that persisted for 27 days for a mother-neonate dyad. The neonate manifested latching difficulty immediately after cesarean birth, and it became worse when nipple shields, bottles, and pacifiers were introduced. Manual expression and an electric pump were implemented when the neonate started losing weight, resulting in reduced frequency of breastfeeding directly at the breast. Additionally, the neonate continued to have latching difficulty after frenotomy. The use of home-based interventions supported ongoing educational opportunities for optimal latch, and I recommend that this type of health education be consistent among health professionals.

A novel finding of oligodontia and ankyloglossia in a 14-year-old with Floating-Harbor syndrome.

Floating-Harbor syndrome (FHS) is a rare genetic condition characterized by distinct facial features, short stature and delayed skeletal development. Here we present case of a 14-year-old boy with short stature, typical facial features, impaired voice quality, clinodactyly, cryptorchidism and unilateral agenesis of kidney. In addition he had oligodontia and ankyloglossia with features suggestive of FHS. Treatment rendered was restoration of caries, application of pit and fissure sealants followed by frenectomy. The purpose of this report is to highlight the oral developmental anomalies and the management of a patient with FHS and to add to the current knowledge of the literature on this syndrome.