Pre/Post Frenectomy Care

Why OT for Pre/Post Frenectomy Care?

Many tongue tied infants have developed compensatory patterns to transfer milk due to poor tongue mobility. Pre and post frenectomy care, strengthens oral motor structures (tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw) and trains these structures to move in a more coordinated fashion; resulting in more successful feeds. Without pre and post frenectomy care babies may continue to use compensatory strategies to breast or bottle feeds which can lead to immature chewing and swallowing patterns when transitioning to solids.

-Doesn’t latch well to breast or bottle
-Chews more than sucks during feedings
-Is fussy during feeding time
-Makes a clicking noise when feeding
-Always seems hungry
-Feeds for a long period, takes a short break, and then feeds for another long period
-Doesn’t gain weight as expected
-Child’s oral-motor skills (functional feeding assessment)
-Child’s responses and tolerance for multi sensory input
-Child’s Postural stability and development
-Consideration of environmental factors
-Consideration of medical factors
-Establish a routine for oral motor exercise and post wound care practice- this ensures parents are confident in their ability to perform the techniques correctly and leads to improved tolerance for the infant.
-Develop adequate oral motor skills (tongue, cheeks, jaw, lips)
-Desensitize face, mouth, and oral cavity
-Strengthen postural muscles through tummy time and play
-Build new patterns of movement
-Maintain new range of motion of the tongue and lips
-Continuing to develop postural strength through tummy time and play
-Address any new feeding related concerns