Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants, Fourth Edition is an essential resource for healthcare professionals working with new breastfeeding families and infants. Using a multidisciplinary approach, it incorporates the latest research on infant sucking and clinical strategies to assist infants with breastfeeding. With an emphasis on skills, it focuses on normal sucking function in addition to difficulties based in anatomical, cardiorespiratory, neurological, or prematurity issues. The Fourth Edition has been extensively updated with new photos throughout and additional information on breastfeeding modifications for infants with structural issues, including micrognathia, orofacial clefts, and torticollis. The contributing authors also reflect on the latest breastfeeding research, including the mechanics of sucking, the normal anatomy of the floor of the mouth, the role of tongue tie in feeding difficulty, as well as strategies to support infants with neurological conditions.

Sometimes breastfeeding doesn’t work for various reasons. Our technological society has come up with a variety of tools for these situations. In Selecting and Using Breastfeeding Tools, lactation consultant Cathy Watson Genna shares her knowledge on which tools to use in various situations, critically reviewing the existing research on a tool category and providing clinical guidance for effective use of each. Each tool entry includes a picture, description, how to use, contact information, price, advantages, disadvantages, and suggested uses. Areas covered by the book include the following: -sore nipple treatments -nipple everters -supplementers -cups and spoons -fingerfeeders Mothers look to lactation consultants to provide unbiased, scientific information about breastfeeding products. When you can provide this information, family finances, the IBCLC profession, and breastfeeding outcomes all benefit. This book is a “must have” for lactation consultants and clinicians who work with breastfeeding moms and babies, especially those who are new to the field and don’t yet have a “bag of tricks.”

Tongue-tie has become one of the most controversial topics in lactation. Unfortunately, mothers, babies, and the IBCLCs who want to help are caught in the crossfire. How should tongue-tie be identified and treated? Do posterior ties exist? Are there alternatives to surgery? These are some of the issues lactation consultants face, as well as Scope of Practice issues and what their role should be in identifying and treating tongue-tie. This monograph features an expert roundtable answering these important questions. We assembled a panel of experts on tongue-tie who represented a wide range of disciplines including pediatrics, family medicine, dentistry, mental health, speech and language, and lactation. Members of this panel do not always agree, but the discourse is respectful and represents the state of the art in this field.