Multidisciplinary Feeding Assessment Program

The Pediatric Otolaryngology Division is excited about our new Multidisciplinary Feeding Assessment Program launched in March 2023 in partnership with our dual certified pediatric speech and language pathologists and certified lactation counselor colleagues, Alyson Pappas and Margaret Cafferkey. With this new care model, we have increased our access to infants and families with feeding concerns and been able to avoid frenotomy in most patients (82% of patients). Our care model acknowledges that breastfeeding challenges are often multifactorial and rarely due to a tethered frenulum. Through this care model, we provide successful feeding support to breastfeeding dyads and are thrilled for our new collaboration with Dr. Rachel Yang, a Breast Surgeon with expertise in Breastfeeding Medicine and maternal lactation complications. We presented our early experience with this model recently at a national meeting, SENTAC, and will be publishing our data. We hope to expand this care model to our East Bay patients in the coming year.