Dysfunctional suction dynamics in newborns with ankyloglossia

Abstract

Purpose: Compare infant suction in babies with and without ankyloglossia using a microprocessor-controlled pressure sensor coupled to a pacifier. Methods: Fifty-five infants from 0 to 2 months of age underwent clinical examination for ankyloglossia, after which they were offered a silicone pacifier connected to the pressure acquisition device and suction activity was recorded. Thus, we extracted the frequency of sucks within a burst, the average suck duration, the burst duration, the number of sucks per burst, the maximum amplitude of sucks per burst and the inter-burst interval. Results: The key difference in newborns with ankyloglossia in relation to control was that they perform longer bursts of suction activity. Conclusion: The longer burst durations are likely a compensatory strategy and may underlie the pain reported by mothers during breastfeeding. We therefore propose a method for objectively quantifying some parameters of infant suction capacity and demonstrate its use in assisting the evaluation of ankyloglossia.