Heather,
Other explanations could be -
- that in the past mothers whose newborns had clinically significant
tongue-ties quit breastfeeding in the first few days or so, whereas now
they are motivated to make breastfeeding work, meaning that more of these
infants are being seen by you;
- that hospital staff are more knowledgeable about preventing common,
clinically manageable problems that IBCLCs would previously have seen
(though your comments about staff sticking non-human suck objects into
newborn mouths belies this explanation).
- If the mothers abandon breastfeeding and exclusively bottle-feed
with other food, the infants may continue to have trouble feeding
efficiently, even though the mouth action required is different, and the
mother generally doesn't usually consult an IBCLC. (A few do, because they
don't know who else to consult and their friends refer them.)
- Of course, the other explanation is what you suggested.

Virginia
Dr Virginia Thorley, OAM, PhD, IBCLC, FILCA
Private Practice IBCLC
Historian
Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

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