Online: Cutting Edge Tongue Tie Symposium 2016: From Confusion to Clarity

Bridget Ingle is a Lactation Consultant of 23 years working in private practice in Brisbane. She has a background in paediatric nursing, midwifery and as a volunteer breastfeeding counsellor with ABA before her certification as an IBCLC in 1992. Bridget has worked continually in the field of breastfeeding, lactation support and education since then and has completed orofacial myology study. Bridget has considerable experience and special interest in all causes of suck anomalies, at-breast feeding line use, and cleft lip/palate. Bridget is co-founder of ASTLiT. 

Dr Todd is Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University Medical School, and CMO in the Department of Neonatology at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Babies in Canberra, Australia. He has been working in Neonatology for 34 years - first as a scientist obtaining a MSc and PhD in Neonatal respiratory physiology and pathology and then studying medicine to qualify in 1999. His main areas of interests are 1) infant ventilation and the development of the newborn lung, 2) retinopathy of prematurity and 3) infant nutrition including breastfeeding and the treatment of tongue tie in problematic breastfeeding. He was first trained to divide tongue ties in Southampton UK in 1999 and then on returning to Westmead Hospital in Sydney in 2002 started up the practice of tongue tie division there. He moved to Canberra in 2006 and has been treating babies with tongue tie and breastfeeding difficulties since that time.

Monica Hogan is a registered nurse, midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who works both in private practice in Canberra and in the Staff Development Unit for ACT Health at the Canberra hospital. She has been president of ACT Lactation Consultants Association and was on the inaugural board of the LCANZ organisation. She has a strong interest in tongue ties and is a foundation member of the International Affiliation of Tongue-tie Professionals. She first divided tongue ties in the UK in 1999 and was lead investigator in the first randomised controlled trial on the division of tongue ties in Southampton UK. She continues to have a strong interest in tongue tie division and as part of her role in the Staff Development Unit has developed a credentialing process for midwives and doctors for the division of tongue ties.

Dr LeFort is a Canadian-trained family physician working in New Zealand. She is married to a Kiwi and they have 2 boys aged 20 and 16. She has worked at Milford Family Medical Centre in Auckland’s North Shore since 2001. She has had a special interest in assisting breastfeeding mothers and babies for the past 15 years and has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2001. Dr LeFort has over 12 years of experience teaching health professionals about breastfeeding and tongue ties. She founded a Tongue Tie Journal Club in 2013 which has 25 health professional members from various disciplines. This club meets monthly to discuss current relevant literature.

Holly Puckering lives in Tasmania, Australia, with her husband and two children. Holly graduated as a Speech Language Pathologist from The University of Queensland and began working in the field of Early Intervention for children with significant disability and delay. From 2006-2014, Holly has been the Senior Speech Pathologist for Rehabilitation at the Royal Hobart Hospital in Tasmania. In this role she has worked with people of all ages with communication disorders and dysphagia. After experiencing first-hand in 2008 with her first child the difficulties that tongue tie can bring, Holly developed a special interest in dysphagia management and oral myofunctional disorders. In 2011 she opened a private practice dedicated to the rehabilitation of oral functional disorders. This practice is now a specialised multidisciplinary team dedicated to cutting edge care and supporting collaborative research into this field. Holly also helped form local networks across Australasia, culminating in 2013 with the formation of ASTLiT. 

Professor Irene Marchesan is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Research Associate at CEFAC, Department of Orofacial Myotherapy Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Irene has over 36 years of experience in research and clinical practice in Brazil specializing in oral functions in the areas of alterations to speech, swallow, chewing and breathing. Her research, combined with Roberta Martinelli and others on lingual frenulum characteristics, tongue function with restricted frenulum, changes after frenectomy and the development of the lingual frenulum protocol have all culminated in the landmark law in Brazil which now requires all infants born to be assessed for tongue tie! As a professor, Irene has visited several countries sharing her knowledge and experience. She has published books, book chapters, and several papers on Orofacial Myotherapy.

Roberta Lopes de Castro Martinelli has a clinical background in Speech-Language Pathology with a specialization in Orofacial Myotherapy. She works at the Department of child care in a Brazilian Public Hospital.

Her main research area is Oromyofunctional disorders. She has published papers on her research field.

Nikki is a Paediatric ENT Surgeon at Starship Children's Hospital. She has a special interest in Paediatric Airway and Swallowing Disorders. Nikki has trained as a Simulation Instructor and is actively involved with the Simulation Teaching in the OR and Emergency Department at Starship.

She directed an Airway Skills “Boot Camp” for ENT Registrars in 2013. She has been actively involved with the RACS Surgical Teachers Academy and is now part of their faculty for the Surgical Teachers’ Course.

Nikki is also the Principal Investigator for the OMIVI Study - A Multi-Phase, Multi-Centre Study on the microbiology of Otitis Media in NZ in the context of a changing pneumococcal vaccine schedule.

Linda is a Clinical Psychologist & Parent-Infant Therapist using an integrated approach to treatment (Mindfulness; CBT; MiCBT; Schema Therapy; Chair Work; Parent-Infant Relationship; Grief, Loss and Attachment; Brief Psychotherapy).She has a combined 23 year of experience working with young families as a Midwife, Lactation Consultant, Early Childhood Health Nurse, Mothercraft, Perinatal-Infant Mental Health Clinician, and Clinical Psychologist.  

Linda has a well established private practice with new rooms in St. Leonards offering in rooms and home visiting services to families in the perinatal period up to 4yrs. Linda and her husband, Angus Cameron - Specialist Paediatric Dentist (Head of Dept.Paediatric and Special Needs Dentisty, Westmead Hospital) have opened the Sydney Specialist Tongue Tie Clinic in the St. Leonards rooms, where Linda utilizes her breastfeeding and parentcrafting skills following tongue tie release.

Carole has been a Registered Nurse for 30+ years & an IBCLC for 20 years. She was born in Brisbane, Australia, & moved to Montreal, Canada in 1985. She lectures on many breastfeeding subjects & has vast experience with complicated lactation cases. She has been involved in tongue-tie research since 2006 and developed the Frenotomy Decision Tool for Breastfeeding Dyads. She co-founded the HFPC-Goldfarb Breastfeeding clinic in 2002. She is Vice President of the Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation and co-director of Health e-Learning-IIHL and Step2 Education.

Dr Asti Praborini is a Pediatrician and IBCLC at KMC Women & Children Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. Having 25 years experiences as pediatrician convinced her that nothing is more important and valuable than breastfeeding for both mother and baby. She built the first hospital-based lactation team in Indonesia. She practices frenotomy for tongue tie and lip ties and established her own method for hospitalization of nipple confusion, supplementation, adoptive nursing, and many others. She is also a proud granny of a successful breastfeeding mother.

Effath Yasmin is India’s leading International Board Certified lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapist with special interest in infant oral and sucking dysfunction and tongue tie treatment at all ages. She has a private practice Nourish & Nurture Care offering outreach for families seeking professional clinical lactation management, parenting counseling and holistic treatment. Yasmin lives with her family in Mumbai India and believes in sharing and spreading the light of knowledge for she believes in empowering lies the spirit of healing and health.

Cynthia is a nurse and midwife, and has been IBCLC for 15 years.

Rather than being an 'expert' on breastfeeding she prefers to work in partnership with families. While imparting knowledge she finds she also learns something new from every mother. 

Marjan Jones is owner and principal dentist at Enhance Dentistry, Milton. She has 17 years’ experience in private practice in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as lecturing at the University of Qld. Her interest in ensuring a preventative approach to adult issues including snoring, sleep apnoea, decay and periodontal disease sees her treating patients as young as 4 days old. Her 12 years’ experience with lasers has culminated in a focus on laser treatment of lip and tongue ties, treating close to 1000 infants. She believes breast-feeding is nature’s first and most potent orthodontic treatment.

Anita is a GGP and IBCLC who works in the field of Breastfeeding Medicine and maternal and child health. Anita works with families who have complicated breastfeeding problems and addresses the varied medical issues of the mother and baby in the perinatal period. Anita works in private practice in Melbourne and she also works sessions at the Breastfeeding and Lactation Disorders Clinic at The Royal Women’s Hospital. Finally, recognising an unmet need, Anita provides ongoing lactation education and support to healthcare professionals and the community. Anita is a board member of the Breastfeeding Medicine Network of Australia and New Zealand.

Kaye is the manager of the Breastfeeding Service and Childbirth Education Department at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne. Kaye is also an ABA volunteer breastfeeding counsellor.

Dr Elissa O’Brien has been an osteopath in practice for 17 years, She has noted an increasing number of patients are choosing to breastfeed their babies. She works closely with lactation consultants who diagnose and refer tongue ties for frenectomy, Ellissa has found that there is confusion even with in the osteopathic community regarding management of tongue-tie.

Dr Eldridge has successfully treated thousands of people locally and interstate with some having even travelled from overseas countries.
 
He regularly contributes articles of interest to various magazines, both online and offline media outlets, professional development courses, and non-government organisations and committees to help promote and educate the public and broad range of health professionals alike on the diagnosis, treatment, and effects of orofacial pain, TMJ disorders, and snoring / sleep apnoea in adults and children.

His referral-based practice has grown over the years to include basic and complex oral surgical procedures such as extractions, wisdom teeth removal, implants and bone grafting, tongue tie (frenectomy) removals in children, and Oral Medicine. More recently, Dr Eldridge saw that there was a large need for a select group of the community to be provided with an option to be able to access high quality affordable dental treatment outside of a hospital setting. Today, the Hobart Orofacial Pain and Special Needs Clinic is the only dental practice of its type in Tasmania for the treatment and management of Orofacial Pain, TMJ Disorders, Headaches, Oral Surgery, Sleep Disorders, and those people with intellectual and physical disabilities, and dental fears and phobias.

After graduating as a Dental Hygienist in 1994, Rochelle spent nine years working in periodontal specialist practices, receiving post graduate training and expertise in the management of periodontal disease. Her special interests include Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders, Neuromuscular Dentistry, TMD and Craniofacial Pain, Sleep Disordered Breathing and Airways. Rochelle lectured at the University of Queensland to the Bachelor of Oral Health students from 1998 to 2001, and has been actively involved in her professional association for many years.

Dr Siegel is the first and only oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon in the United states to earn the distinction of Fellow of the International College of Students and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Dr Siegel was trained in medical school by the renowned pediatric surgeon Dr Betty Coyllos.  As a Dual Degree Board Certified Oral and Masillofacial surgeion Dr Siegel’s medical training and experience provides additional insight when working with lactation consultants and other health professionals on the issues related to Tongue Tie, Upper Lip Tie, such as Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease (GERD). Dr Siegal is also the founding member and serves on the Governing Council of the international Association of Tongue Tie Professionals (IATP).

Simone trained as a midwife at St George Hospital, Sydney, in 2000. She was fortunate to have some very passionate educators and mentors that saw her zest for midwifery and the holistic care of the woman and family grow. She had opportunities to work in high risk team midwifery and as a case load midwife in the birth centre. In 2005 it was time to go home, so she moved back to coastal NSW gaining a midwifery position at Bega District Hospital.

Simone soon realised the complexities of rural maternity care for women and families! And the need to develop collaborative relationships amongst health professionals to provide best care for women. She commenced as the MUM of Bega Valley maternity Services in 2010 and continues to strive toward collaborative pathways and partnerships for women's and family services in the valley.

Shannon Thomson lives in a rural area of NSW, Australia. She is a Child and Family Health Nurse, Midwife, Clinical Nurse Specialist and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant for the Bega Valley. One of Shannon’s area of speciality is in Tongue Tie and has given education in Vancouver, Canada as well as presentations at the Annual International Lactation Consultants Association Conference, Orlando,  USA in 2013. Her main role is working with breastfeeding mothers in the home, clinic or group setting and she is passionate in her endeavour to support them.