The role of the IBCLC in the collabration on pre-release care for tongue-tied babies

Tongue ties in babies can cause a long array of feeding issues that need to be addressed prior to a decision of doing a release. We will take a look at the primary assessments IBCLCs can do to help identify the most likely cause of the symptoms based on (breast)feeding anamnesis, examination of the baby and (breast)feeding observation. We will make suggestions for further treatment and counselling based on the findings. We will look at factors that contribute to predicting immediate outcomes of a release and suggest recommended pre-release treatment and plans for optimizing the chance of success.

Tine Greve is a midwife since 1991, International board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) since 2000. She is currently working as a midwife and IBCLC in a multidisciplinary health care centre for mothers and babies just outside Oslo, Norway. She has specialized in counselling mother-baby dyads with breastfeeding difficulties due to tongue-ties and motoric challenges.