[Prevalence of ankyloglossia in newborns in Asturias (Spain)].

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of ankyloglossia has been estimated at around 4% of live births. Its prevalence at national level is unknown.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Multicenter, prospective observational study. Six hospitals in Asturias took part. All newborns were examined on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for 3 months. Coryllos and Hazelbaker criteria were used to diagnose ankyloglossia.

RESULTS

The prevalence in the 667 newborns examined was 12.11% (95% CI: 9.58 to 14.64), of whom 62% were male. One in 4 children with ankyloglossia had a family history. According to Coryllos' classification, type II was the most common (54%).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of ankyloglossia in Asturias was 2 to t3 times higher than expected. The diagnostic criteria for ankyloglossia needs to be unified, and further studies are required to determine the association with breastfeeding difficulties and other health problems.