Experiences of tongue tie when breastfeeding twins: A qualitative study

IF 2.6 3区医学 Q1 NURSING

Midwifery Pub Date : 2025-01-03 DOI:10.1016/j.midw.2025.104282

A.E. Burton, H. Cassidy, J. Taylor, A. Owen

{"title":"Experiences of tongue tie when breastfeeding twins: A qualitative study","authors":"A.E. Burton, H. Cassidy, J. Taylor, A. Owen","doi":"10.1016/j.midw.2025.104282","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Problem</h3><div>Tongue tie is an added complication when breastfeeding, but little is known about the role tongue tie might play when breastfeeding twins.</div></div><div><h3>Background</h3><div>Twins are much less likely to be breastfed than singleton babies due to added complications regarding pregnancy, birth and ongoing care. Tongue tie can cause breastfeeding barriers including poor latch, inefficient milk transfer and nipple pain.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>The aim of this study was to conduct an in-depth exploration of the experiences of mothers who have breastfeed twins with suspected or diagnosed tongue tie.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Interview and qualitative survey data exploring the experience of breastfeeding twins and multiples were analysed with a focus on the experiences of participants reporting on suspected or diagnosed tongue tie. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Three themes were developed. These were: 1) feeling disempowered by tongue tie denial; which illustrated the experience of dismissal by healthcare professionals, 2) the avoidable impact of diagnostic delay; highlighting the practical, physical and psychological impact of tongue tie, and 3) improvements following intervention; illustrating the immediate improvements experienced following frenotomy.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Mothers who suspect tongue tie find themselves disempowered by denial of their experiences and needing to fight for intervention. Long delays lead to distress for both mother and child while intervention often leads to instant improvement.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Improved healthcare professional training and healthcare policy changes are needed to improve tongue tie support and intervention for parents of twins and reduce the threat to mother and child health and wellbeing.</div></div><div><h3>Statement of Significance</h3><div><strong>Problem or Issue:</strong> Breastfeeding rates for twins are much lower than for singleton babies. For some infants tongue tie may be an additional barrier to breastfeeding success.</div><div><strong>What is Already Known:</strong> Research with parents of singleton babies has shown that tongue tie can cause distress, frustration and physical pain for mothers who report dismissal by healthcare professionals and a need to fight for support.</div><div><strong>What this Paper Adds:</strong> The voices of parents of infants with tongue tie who have successfully breastfed twins are presented. Like parents of singleton infants, they experienced diagnostic delays and psychological and physical impacts of tongue tie. Intervention was often sought privately when NHS support was lacking. Regardless of source, tongue tie intervention often led to immediate improvement highlighting how the added stresses and challenges created by tongue tie for twin parents could be prevented with appropriate support and intervention following birth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18495,"journal":{"name":"Midwifery","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 104282"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Midwifery","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613825000014","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Problem

Tongue tie is an added complication when breastfeeding, but little is known about the role tongue tie might play when breastfeeding twins.

Background

Twins are much less likely to be breastfed than singleton babies due to added complications regarding pregnancy, birth and ongoing care. Tongue tie can cause breastfeeding barriers including poor latch, inefficient milk transfer and nipple pain.

Aim

The aim of this study was to conduct an in-depth exploration of the experiences of mothers who have breastfeed twins with suspected or diagnosed tongue tie.

Methods

Interview and qualitative survey data exploring the experience of breastfeeding twins and multiples were analysed with a focus on the experiences of participants reporting on suspected or diagnosed tongue tie. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Findings

Three themes were developed. These were: 1) feeling disempowered by tongue tie denial; which illustrated the experience of dismissal by healthcare professionals, 2) the avoidable impact of diagnostic delay; highlighting the practical, physical and psychological impact of tongue tie, and 3) improvements following intervention; illustrating the immediate improvements experienced following frenotomy.

Discussion

Mothers who suspect tongue tie find themselves disempowered by denial of their experiences and needing to fight for intervention. Long delays lead to distress for both mother and child while intervention often leads to instant improvement.

Conclusion

Improved healthcare professional training and healthcare policy changes are needed to improve tongue tie support and intervention for parents of twins and reduce the threat to mother and child health and wellbeing.

Statement of Significance

Problem or Issue: Breastfeeding rates for twins are much lower than for singleton babies. For some infants tongue tie may be an additional barrier to breastfeeding success.

What is Already Known: Research with parents of singleton babies has shown that tongue tie can cause distress, frustration and physical pain for mothers who report dismissal by healthcare professionals and a need to fight for support.

What this Paper Adds: The voices of parents of infants with tongue tie who have successfully breastfed twins are presented. Like parents of singleton infants, they experienced diagnostic delays and psychological and physical impacts of tongue tie. Intervention was often sought privately when NHS support was lacking. Regardless of source, tongue tie intervention often led to immediate improvement highlighting how the added stresses and challenges created by tongue tie for twin parents could be prevented with appropriate support and intervention following birth.

查看原文本刊更多论文

母乳喂养双胞胎时系舌的经验：一项定性研究。

问题：在母乳喂养时，系舌结是一个额外的并发症，但很少有人知道在母乳喂养双胞胎时，系舌结可能起的作用。背景：由于怀孕、分娩和持续护理的并发症增加，双胞胎比单胎婴儿更不可能被母乳喂养。舌结会造成哺乳障碍，包括锁住不良、乳汁转移效率低下和乳头疼痛。目的：本研究的目的是深入探讨母乳喂养双胞胎疑似或确诊舌结的母亲的经历。方法：访谈和定性调查数据探讨母乳喂养双胞胎和多胞胎的经验，重点分析参与者报告怀疑或诊断舌结的经验。数据分析采用反身性主题分析。研究结果：发展了三个主题。它们分别是：1)因为拒绝打舌头结而感到被剥夺了权力；这说明了医疗保健专业人员解雇的经验，2)诊断延误的可避免影响；强调结舌的实际、生理和心理影响，以及3)干预后的改善；说明截骨术后的立即改善。讨论：怀疑系舌的母亲发现自己被剥夺了权力，因为他们否认自己的经历，需要争取干预。长时间的延误会给母亲和孩子带来痛苦，而干预往往会立即得到改善。结论：需要加强卫生保健专业培训，改变卫生保健政策，以提高对双胞胎父母的舌结支持和干预，减少对母婴健康和福祉的威胁。意义说明：问题或问题：双胞胎的母乳喂养率比单胎婴儿低得多。对一些婴儿来说，舌结可能是母乳喂养成功的另一个障碍。已知情况：对单胎婴儿父母的研究表明，结舌会给那些被医疗专业人员解雇、需要争取支持的母亲带来痛苦、沮丧和身体疼痛。本文补充的内容：本文介绍了成功母乳喂养双胞胎的舌结婴儿父母的声音。像单胎婴儿的父母一样，他们经历了舌结的诊断延迟和心理和身体影响。当缺乏NHS支持时，经常私下寻求干预。无论来源如何，舌结干预通常会立即改善，强调如何在出生后通过适当的支持和干预来预防舌结给双胞胎父母带来的额外压力和挑战。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Midwifery 医学-护理

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

7.40%

发文量

221

审稿时长

13.4 weeks

期刊介绍： Midwifery publishes the latest peer reviewed international research to inform the safety, quality, outcomes and experiences of pregnancy, birth and maternity care for childbearing women, their babies and families. The journal’s publications support midwives and maternity care providers to explore and develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes informed by best available evidence. Midwifery provides an international, interdisciplinary forum for the publication, dissemination and discussion of advances in evidence, controversies and current research, and promotes continuing education through publication of systematic and other scholarly reviews and updates. Midwifery articles cover the cultural, clinical, psycho-social, sociological, epidemiological, education, managerial, workforce, organizational and technological areas of practice in preconception, maternal and infant care. The journal welcomes the highest quality scholarly research that employs rigorous methodology. Midwifery is a leading international journal in midwifery and maternal health with a current impact factor of 1.861 (© Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports 2016) and employs a double-blind peer review process.