Connections beyond the tongue: A scoping review on ankyloglossia and its influence on breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is considered the best source of nutrition for babies. Ankyloglossia, or tongue tie, is an alteration in the lingual frenulum that can interfere with this process. Aim To explore the potential factors related to ankyloglossia that influence breastfeeding, for both infant and mother. Method Scoping review, following the JBI steps, in the Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, Pubmed and BDENF databases. A total of 1174 articles were found. Results 46 articles made up the study sample, comprising four themes: (1) Maternal experience; (2) Epidemiology; (3) Infant difficulties; (4) Breastfeeding interventions and changes. Conclusion Ankyloglossia was associated with breastfeeding difficulties and its assessment was more effective when two or more instruments were used. Frenotomy was relatively effective for resuming breastfeeding. The production of knowledge about the relationship between ankyloglossia and breastfeeding helps nurses to update scientific evidence.