Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort study

Abstract Background The impact of ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) on breastfeeding outcomes may be overestimated and surgical treatment in newborns remains a controversial topic. The aim of the present study was to assess and quantify the impact of ankyloglossia in newborns on breastfeeding self-efficacy...

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Main Authors: Carlos Alberto Feldens, Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan, Lívia Mund de Amorim, Elisa Maria Rosa de Barros Coelho, Gabriela Fernandes Kern dos Santos, Paulo Floriani Kramer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-01-01
Series:BMC Oral Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05444-1
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author Carlos Alberto Feldens
Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan
Lívia Mund de Amorim
Elisa Maria Rosa de Barros Coelho
Gabriela Fernandes Kern dos Santos
Paulo Floriani Kramer
author_facet Carlos Alberto Feldens
Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan
Lívia Mund de Amorim
Elisa Maria Rosa de Barros Coelho
Gabriela Fernandes Kern dos Santos
Paulo Floriani Kramer
author_sort Carlos Alberto Feldens
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The impact of ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) on breastfeeding outcomes may be overestimated and surgical treatment in newborns remains a controversial topic. The aim of the present study was to assess and quantify the impact of ankyloglossia in newborns on breastfeeding self-efficacy at 14 days of life. Methods A birth cohort study was conducted involving mothers and newborns soon after childbirth at a public hospital in the city of Canoas, southern Brazil. At the hospital, the lingual frenum of newborns were clinically examined and classified using the Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool. For every newborn with defined or suspected ankyloglossia, two newborns without ankyloglossia were co-enrolled for the study. At 14 days of the children’s lives, the mothers were interviewed at home to collect data on breastfeeding self-efficacy using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). Poisson regression with robust variance was conducted to quantify differences in the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy scores between exposed and nonexposed newborns after adjusting for maternal sociodemographic variables (mother’s completed years of schooling, mother’s age, family structure, progenitor status of child, mother’s smoking status), the gestational variables (number of prenatal appointments, gestational age, comorbidities, type of childbirth), and child related variables (sex, birth weight, birth length) as confounders. Results The final sample was composed of 31 children with ankyloglossia (exposed) and 57 without ankyloglossia (nonexposed). No significant differences were found in the BSEF-SF scores between the 31 children with ankyloglossia (mean BSEF-SF scores: 56.0; median BSEF-SF scores: 60; 95% CI: 51.9–60.1) and the 57 children without ankyloglossia (mean BSEF-SF scores: 59.6; median BSEF-SF scores: 60; 95% CI: 57.5–61.7). The Poisson regression analysis showed no significant difference in the BSEF-SF scores between newborns with ankyloglossia and those without ankyloglossia (Ratio = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88–1.02; p = 0.139). Conclusion Ankyloglossia at birth exerted no clinically relevant impact on breastfeeding self-efficacy in children at 14 days of life.
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spelling doaj-art-f51f2840b0b0467f988f1737841623502025-01-19T12:41:22ZengBMCBMC Oral Health1472-68312025-01-0125111010.1186/s12903-025-05444-1Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort studyCarlos Alberto Feldens0Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan1Lívia Mund de Amorim2Elisa Maria Rosa de Barros Coelho3Gabriela Fernandes Kern dos Santos4Paulo Floriani Kramer5Department of Preventive and Social Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do SulDepartment of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo UniversityDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, FSG – University Center of Serra GaúchaDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do SulDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Lutheran University of BrazilDepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do SulAbstract Background The impact of ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) on breastfeeding outcomes may be overestimated and surgical treatment in newborns remains a controversial topic. The aim of the present study was to assess and quantify the impact of ankyloglossia in newborns on breastfeeding self-efficacy at 14 days of life. Methods A birth cohort study was conducted involving mothers and newborns soon after childbirth at a public hospital in the city of Canoas, southern Brazil. At the hospital, the lingual frenum of newborns were clinically examined and classified using the Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool. For every newborn with defined or suspected ankyloglossia, two newborns without ankyloglossia were co-enrolled for the study. At 14 days of the children’s lives, the mothers were interviewed at home to collect data on breastfeeding self-efficacy using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). Poisson regression with robust variance was conducted to quantify differences in the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy scores between exposed and nonexposed newborns after adjusting for maternal sociodemographic variables (mother’s completed years of schooling, mother’s age, family structure, progenitor status of child, mother’s smoking status), the gestational variables (number of prenatal appointments, gestational age, comorbidities, type of childbirth), and child related variables (sex, birth weight, birth length) as confounders. Results The final sample was composed of 31 children with ankyloglossia (exposed) and 57 without ankyloglossia (nonexposed). No significant differences were found in the BSEF-SF scores between the 31 children with ankyloglossia (mean BSEF-SF scores: 56.0; median BSEF-SF scores: 60; 95% CI: 51.9–60.1) and the 57 children without ankyloglossia (mean BSEF-SF scores: 59.6; median BSEF-SF scores: 60; 95% CI: 57.5–61.7). The Poisson regression analysis showed no significant difference in the BSEF-SF scores between newborns with ankyloglossia and those without ankyloglossia (Ratio = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.88–1.02; p = 0.139). Conclusion Ankyloglossia at birth exerted no clinically relevant impact on breastfeeding self-efficacy in children at 14 days of life.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05444-1BreastfeedingLingual frenumAnkyloglossiaNewborn
spellingShingle Carlos Alberto Feldens
Moréniké Oluwátóyìn Foláyan
Lívia Mund de Amorim
Elisa Maria Rosa de Barros Coelho
Gabriela Fernandes Kern dos Santos
Paulo Floriani Kramer
Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort study
BMC Oral Health
Breastfeeding
Lingual frenum
Ankyloglossia
Newborn
title Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort study
title_full Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort study
title_fullStr Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort study
title_short Ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self-efficacy in newborns: a birth cohort study
title_sort ankyloglossia and breastfeeding self efficacy in newborns a birth cohort study
topic Breastfeeding
Lingual frenum
Ankyloglossia
Newborn
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05444-1
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