Jessica wrote:
>I feel that here, people are using tongue tie as the ONLY clinical
diagnosis.  <
         >clip< (no pun intended!)
>Are you guys beginning to see this in the US?  Every darn baby has a
tongue tie if it won't latch or is not gaining?  Frustration!  I think
with anything, if you try something a few times, be it TT or thrush
medicine, or whatever, if it aint working, it is probably not the
problem. <


Jessica,  it isn't only tongue tie that is misdiagnosed or misused in that way.
It seems that every time a new way of doing things, or a new reason
for babies not latching on, or a new SOMETHING is taught, then it
suddenly applies to EVERY baby having a problem nursing.
We have been through this with nipple shields (all the old
rubber/glass combinations, "Mexican hats", and new silicone versions,)
nursing supplementers, nipple everters and various pumps. All have
been hailed, at one time or another, as THE ANSWER to a mother's
prayer.
We have seen all kinds of conditions overdiagnosed, most notably
thrush, tongue tie and now, reflux.  If sometimes seems that every
other baby in Israel has tongue tie, so every other baby in the USA
has reflux!
And yes, even some interventions are used inappropriately. Skin to
skin is wonderful, but it will not fix a cleft palate, will it?

As I see it, the problem is a lack of knowledge and/or experience in
diagnosis. (Of course, as IBCLCs we are not supposed to diagnose,
which is a whole 'nother post!) In those circumstances, it is easy to
latch onto (yeah, you can groan at my pun!) the latest and greatest
*cure.*
The answer is to make sure that everyone in the field of human
lactation - which translates to everyone who helps women of
childbearing age - has a basic knowledge of how breastfeeding works,
and knows when to refer to a more knowledgable and experienced person.

Oops!  There I go daydreaming again!

warmly, norma

Norma Ritter, IBCLC, RLC
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