The Tongue-Tie Controversy How Shall We Then Treat and What Is the Role of the IBCLC?

摘要

For many years, I've watched as experts in tongue-tie fought to get health-care providers to recognize its existence. I still remember Cathy Watson Genna and Donna Geddes showing ultrasound videos of before and after a tongue-tie release. They made believers out of everyone in the room. Finally, at least some health-care providers were recognizing tongue-tie and were willing to do something about it. More recently, however, I've seen the controversy surrounding tongue-tie grow, particularly on social media. The conversation has become so polarized that dissenting voices are shouted down, and people have even lost their jobs when they dared to differ from the prevailing orthodoxy. How did we get here and what should our next steps be? Caught in the middle of this mess are mothers, babies, and the IBCLCs who are trying to help them. That is why we have dedicated this entire issue to tongue-tie. I have asked Marsha Walker to join me in coediting this issue. Neither of us are experts on this topic, so we are neutral. What we do bring to the table is our knowledge of breastfeeding, which helps us know which questions to ask. In addition, we are both speakers who have traveled the world, which has helped us identify practitioners who are experts. We asked them to participate, and they graciously agreed.