Recently, the results of a survey in the United States have alarmed many medical experts.
According to the survey, some doctors in the United States perform tongue-tie surgery on newborns under the banner of "making breastfeeding easier", that is, the tongue-tie is removed with a laser.
(Comparison before and after tongue-tie surgery, schematic diagram)
This surgery was originally intended for newborns with a large problem with tongue-tie.
For example, when tongue-tie is shorter, thicker or tighter than normal, it will connect the tongue to the bottom of the mouth, causing the tongue to be unable to lift up, and the baby cannot breastfeed normally, which necessitates surgery.
Between 4% and 11% of babies are born with excess tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, and many doctors feel that as long as it is not severe, it will not get in the way.
(Tongue-tie in infants, schematic)
Since the 60s of the last century, American mothers have preferred breastfeeding to milk powder, which has provided opportunities for some unscrupulous dentists and lactation consultants to play tricks.
In order to make money, they will trick their parents into performing tongue-tie surgeries on their babies, claiming that they will make them more receptive to breastfeeding, and the lack of government oversight has emboldened these doctors.
Between 1997 and 2021, the proportion of tongue-tie surgeries increased by 800%, from about 1,280 to more than 12,000.
In fact, about 60% of babies do not need surgery at all and recover on their own.
Babies who don't need tongue-tie surgery will instead suffer from it.
Surgery can cause severe, persistent pain and difficulty eating, leading to malnutrition and even the need for a feeding tube.
(Tongue-tie in children, schematic)
Dentists and lactation consultants recommend this procedure because of the quick money.
The procedure is short-lived, costs about $600-$900, and can generate millions of dollars a year in medical revenue, making dentists greedy.
Dentists also divide the money with lactation consultants who recommend tongue-tie surgery to parents of newborn babies and refer these potential customers to dentists.
For example, since 2020, the International Lactation Consultant Review Board has received at least three complaints against Melanie Henstrom, a lactation consultant in Idaho, who recommended tongue-tie surgery for babies and caused them pain, when they didn't need the surgery at all.
Without ever seeing a baby, Melanie dared to recommend tongue-tie surgery to her parents on Facebook.
When parents bring their babies to see her, she will toss vigorously in the child's mouth and press the frenulum to make the child appear more painful.
She will tell parents that their babies will never be able to breastfeed or eat solid foods without surgery.
In fact, surgery on a baby can deprive the tongue of the ability to suck breast milk and eat solid foods.
It is said that Melanie, a lactation consultant, will also be personally involved in the surgery.
She often referred patients to a dentist who was sometimes responsible for holding the baby down while the dentist operated on the baby.
(Melanie Henström)
Tess Merrell is a high school soccer coach and one of the parents who was fooled by Melanie.
Melanie recommended tongue-tie surgery to her via Facebook.
Although paediatricians, physical therapists and other lactation consultants told Tess that her baby's short tongue-tie was not the source of the breastfeeding problem, she took Melanie's word for it.
Soon after the tongue-tie surgery, the baby became malnourished and dehydrated and had to use a feeding tube.
The doctor who operated on the baby was adamant that he had performed 800 tongue-tie surgeries, and this was the only time the results were unsatisfactory.
Tess realized that she had been fooled by Melanie.
"This surgery is touted as a panacea. ”
"Afterwards we felt like we were really stupid and spent money to hurt our own children. ”
(Tess Merrell and her baby)
Tess's baby is already distressing, and that's not the worst case scenario.
The New York Times conducted a survey of mothers, many of whom found that their children had lost weight so much after tongue-tie surgery that they had to use a feeding tube.
For example, in November 2022, a mother in Montana had her baby undergo tongue-tie surgery.
After the operation, the baby lost the ability to suck, and in just 3 months, the baby's weight and height percentile dropped from the 97th percentile to the 15th percentile.
Another pediatric ear, nose and throat doctor in Delaware revealed that she treated an 11-day-old baby who was hospitalized for severe weight loss after tongue-tie surgery.
(Healthy baby, schematic)
The number of such cases is increasing, and some experts are now alarmed.
Last year, the Kentucky Pediatric Society issued a warning to parents -
More and more dentists trick their children into tongue-tie surgery, which can be expensive, but many babies experience severe pain after surgery, sometimes causing them to refuse to eat.
In fact, it is only one aspect to make parents of newborns more vigilant.
On the other hand, this matter still needs to be supervised by government departments.
in order to solve the problem fundamentally......