What About Mom? Considering Maternal Factors When Evaluating and Treating Tethered Oral Tissues in Breastfeeding Infants

Since the identification of tethered oral tissues (TOTs) is a functional assessment, in order to be complete, maternal assessment must be included. In this presentation, we will discuss how the function of the breastfeeding infant is affected by maternal factors, including discomfort, milk supply, birth experience, and lack of prior education/support. It is important to assess, not only if there is a tie, but whether the tie is what is causing the feeding concerns. This paradigm extends to readiness for release of TOTs and considers maternal/family readiness as an indicator for successful procedure. This is important in these days of concentration of therapies for the infant, without considering maternal physical or psychosocial experiences.