Effect of Post-Frenotomy Tongue Massages on Recurrence of Ankyloglossia and Feeding Outcomes in Infants Under 1 Year

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether performing sublingual massages after frenotomy can reduce the recurrence of ankyloglossia, commonly known as tongue-tie, in infants under one year old. This randomized, unblinded trial compares the effects of postoperative massages with no massages to understand if massages influence the likelihood of tongue-tie returning and if they affect feeding experiences in babies. Infants undergoing frenotomy will be randomly assigned to either a massage group or a control group. In the massage group, parents or guardians will start gentle tongue massages on the first day after the procedure, twice daily for seven days, using circular fingertip pressure around the frenotomy site for at least 10 seconds. The control group will be instructed not to touch the site to allow natural tongue motion during feeding. All procedures are performed by a pediatric otolaryngologist using a standardized outpatient technique. Participants will be followed up two months after frenotomy to assess tongue-tie recurrence using a validated Hazelbaker scale and to evaluate feeding practices with a questionnaire covering pain, latch difficulty, feeding difficulty, and satisfaction. Parents will keep logs of massage sessions. The main outcomes measured are the return of tongue-tie and changes in feeding experience, with data analyzed to compare the two groups.

The Impact of Post-Frenotomy Massages on Ankyloglossia Recurrence and Feeding Outcomes