Normal Nipple Position in Term Infants Measured on Breastfeeding Ultrasound

Abstract

Nipple position is believed to influence breastfeeding success. To investigate this belief, submental ultrasound images were obtained during breastfeeding of normal term infants. This study measured nipple to hard-soft palate distance (NHSPD) in 18 mother-infant pairs during the first and fourth weeks of life. Median NHSPD was 5 mm (interquartile: 4, 6 mm). There were no significant differences in median NHSPD between first, second, and fifth minutes of feeding (P = .675) or between week 1 and week 4 (P = .320). The nipple was not stationary during feeding, with mean nipple movement of 4.0 -/+ 1.3 mm. Further research is required with more infants to confirm the boundaries of normality for ultrasound measurements of nipple position during successful breastfeeding.

Frenulotomy for Breastfeeding Infants With Ankyloglossia: Effect on Milk Removal and Sucking Mechanism as Imaged by Ultrasound

“…Submental scans of the midline of the infant's oral cavity were performed [16][17][18][19] using an Acuson XP10 (Siemens, Mountain View, CA) with an endocavity convex transducer (7 MHz). The transducer was rotated until the longest image of the nipple was obtained and a clear view of the hard/soft palate junction (HSPJ) was achieved (Fig 1).…”

Biomechanics of milk extraction during breast-feeding

“…Observation of movie clips of breast-feeding infants revealed mandible movements without motions of the buccinator muscles, which may alter mouth volume and pressure. Hence, the peristalsis of the posterior tongue, as well as changes in mouth volume due to mandible oscillations, are most likely the generators of the pressure fluctuations measured near the nipple tip (12,19,20), which was located a few millimeters anterior to the HSPJ (21). The frequency domain of tongue motility was analyzed by using a fast Fourier transform algorithm on the local time-dependent movements around each polar line (Fig.…”

Swallowing – Physiology, Disorders, Diagnosis and Therapy

“…Specifi cally, for the initiation of nutritive sucking, the tongue is known to either secure the nipple at the hard-soft palate junction and then initiate a downward movement for milk suction and upward movement for expression [ 66 ] or to be "anchored" at the anterior sulcus and initiate suction and expression movements [ 59 ]. Specifi cally, for the initiation of nutritive sucking, the tongue is known to either secure the nipple at the hard-soft palate junction and then initiate a downward movement for milk suction and upward movement for expression [ 66 ] or to be "anchored" at the anterior sulcus and initiate suction and expression movements [ 59 ].…”