Maxillary Frenulum and “Lip Tie”: What Parents Understand

Abstract

Abstract Objective To determine the proportion of parents that have some knowledge of abnormal maxillary frenulum, or “lip tie,” and their sources of this information. Study Design Cross‐sectional study. Setting Otolaryngology clinic. Methods Consecutive parents of children ≤12 years of age presenting at a pediatric otolaryngology clinic were surveyed to discover their understanding of “lip tie” in children. The survey included questions on the effects of “lip tie,” where they learned about “lip tie,” whether they thought their child had “lip tie,” whether they had a child undergo “lip tie” division, and how concerned they would be if they thought their child had “lip tie.” Information on participant demographics and social media was collected. Results Overall, 59.8% (193) of the 323 parents surveyed had heard of “lip tie”; of those, 17.1% (33) had a child that had undergone “lip tie” surgery. Most parents (91.2%, 176) thought “lip tie” caused breastfeeding problems. Roughly one‐quarter of parents (51 of 197 responses) rated their concern about “lip tie” as >8 of 10 on a Likert scale (mean, 5.7). The reported sources of “lip tie” information included lactation consultants (36.8%, 71), nurses (22.8%, 44), and pediatricians (31.6%, 61) as well as nonmedical sources, such as social media, family, and friends (68.4%, 132). Overall, 87% (282) of the 323 participants reported daily use of social media. Conclusion Although many parents are concerned about “lip tie,” much of their information on this condition comes from nonmedical sources. Social media would be a valuable platform to provide accurate information on “lip tie.”

Keywords

• breastfeeding
• frenotomy
• social media
• superior labial frenulum