The lingual frenulum and its relation with breastfeeding: understanding of a health team

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby and should be performed exclusively, in the first 6 months of life. The tongue plays an important role in the suction movement. The tongue has on its underside a membrane that connects it to the floor of the mouth, called the lingual frenulum, which can be considered normal or altered. Objective: To verify the understanding of health professionals regarding the relation between the lingual frenulum and breastfeeding. Method: This is a descriptive, qualitative study. Data collection was performed in a Hospital and two Child Care Services. A semiopen interview was conducted with seventeen health professionals from these services. Subsequently, the interviews were analyzed using content analysis, thematic modality. Results: From the speeches, two thematic nuclei revealed: Considerations on the lingual frenulum, breastfeeding and speech; Criteria for indication by professionals for the frenotomy procedure. Conclusion: In view of the speeches of the participating professionals, it was verified that there is no consensus about the relationship between breastfeeding and the lingual frenulum.