Global panorama of ankyloglossia in newborns

a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Ankyloglossia is a congenital malformation that results in limited tongue movement. Despite being a known condition, it still raises many questions regarding diagnosis and treatment, especially in neonates, where its impact on breastfeeding has not been well established. Purpose: To map the global landscape of ankyloglossia in newborns through bibliometric analysis. Methodology: A search was conducted using the terms "Newborn" and "Ankyloglossia" on the platforms Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, Web of Science, and Scopus. Results: After removing duplicates and applying eligibility criteria, 431 studies were included and imported into the VOSviewer software. The year 2019 had the highest number of articles on the topic (44). The keywords "surgery" and "breastfeeding" were the most frequent in the research and showed a strong association. However, in more recent publications, the terms "laser" and "surgical complications" are among the most cited. Among the 49 countries surveyed, the United States published the most on the subject (104), followed by the United Kingdom (46), Australia (28), and Brazil (22). The most relevant study in the analyzed portfolio was "Ankyloglossia: assessment, incidence, and effect of frenuloplasty on the breastfeeding dyad" by Ballard and colleagues. Conclusion: The study of lingual frenulum alterations has garnered increasing interest in the scientific community and underscores a concern to uncover the impact of surgery on improving breastfeeding, in order to establish a solid foundation justifying its indication in light of the associated risks.