The functional anatomy of sucking and swallowing in breastfed babies: part 1. Dr Nikki Mills New Zealand, 2020 Baby February 2021

Dr Nikki Mills is a New Zealand based paediatric ENT surgeon, who has a special clinical and research interest in breastfeeding and is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Nikki worked for many years at the Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland, moving in 2020 to Nelson Hospital in Nelson, New Zealand. In this first episode of an in-depth 3-part conversation, Pam and Nikki take a deep dive into Nikki’s groundbreaking anatomical dissection studies of the floor of mouth fascia, which reveal the true nature of the infant lingual frenulum. They discuss the implications of her studies for the biomechanical model of infant suck during breastfeeding, the diagnosis of ‘posterior tongue-tie’, the decision whether or not to proceed with frenotomy, and the risks associated with frenotomy. 

Listen now on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, episode webpage